ABOUT INSIDE SCIENCE

BBC Inside Science is a publicly-funded radio program produced in the UK. The BBC is a highly-renowned and reputable source of news journalism, as well as other media such as television. On the Inside Science website, this show is described as “A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries, challenges and the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.” The episode of the broadcast analyzed here is “Fusion energy smashes world record.” It was released on February 10th, 2022, originally airing at 9:00 pm in the UK. The episode was hosted by multiple journalists, with Marnie Chesterton acting as the lead presenter. It has a length of 29 minutes. The episode is broken into three topics: the breaking of the record for energy extracted by nuclear fusion, the funding of a new UK-based scientific funding agency called ARIA, and the discovery of a community of giant sponges living on the floor of the central arctic ocean.

AUDIENCE

As BBC radio is broadcast to the full population of the UK, it is intended for lay audiences. The audience, however, is assumed to be educated; the episode would be difficult to understand without at least a high school education and appears to assume a college education. High school-level scientific concepts such as photosynthesis and biological degradation using enzymes, for example, were mentioned without further explanation. The difference between fission and fusion as nuclear energy sources was explained, but only briefly before interviews with experts began. Specialist knowledge in any area was not assumed, however, so the listener does not need to be a professional to consume this media.

While BBC radio is released globally, this program is decidedly directed toward its UK-based listeners. During the episode, the journalist says a new research agency will soon be funded “here in the UK.” While this phrasing is amenable to an international audience, since she could be referring to only her own location, it serves to acknowledge and connect with UK-based listeners. The episode includes a debate lasting approximately ten minutes about the funding of scientific research in the UK, as well as the application of a disclosure policy called the Freedom of Information Act to a new research agency there. In addition to demonstrating the focus of the program on the UK, this suggests that it is intended for adults, especially those in the workforce. Aside from the researchers who will or will not benefit from these newly supplied resources, taxpayers specifically are most likely to be interested in a lengthy discussion of public funding for science.

Additionally, the average listener is expected to be someone who tunes in regularly. At the beginning of the episode, the host glosses over a topic (the downsides of nuclear fission as an energy source), citing the fact that they discussed it the previous week. The producers are comfortable, therefore, with not only assuming the listener is committed to listening every week, but also with acknowledging that assumption to the audience. This is potentially alienating toward, or, at best, slightly neglectful of listeners who have not heard previous broadcasts. This further builds an image of the average listener: a middle-aged British college graduate currently in the workforce, who tunes in to the broadcast weekly out of interest.

PURPOSE

The general purpose of the episode is to inform and educate, as well as to give context in the case of the policy-related discussion. For context, the radio show is broadcast at 9:00pm on Thursdays in the UK. This suggests the intention that the audience will listen to the program as a resting activity at the end of the day, perhaps after putting children to bed for a working parent. Additionally, because this is a radio program on a news radio station, the expectation of entertainment that is placed on science communication media such as podcasts and television shows is diminished: listeners to BBC news radio expect primarily informational content.

The topics chosen were interesting to a listener curious about science, but were not provocative or related to any state of crisis; this program is not intended to convey the science related to breaking news about which the public is already aware and seeking information, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or climate change. It was also not intended to persuade. Coverage was balanced during the policy debate segment of the episode.

Rather, the motivating purpose guiding the podcast is to encourage the audience’s enthusiasm about science. The episode opened with coverage of a breakthrough in nuclear fission in the UK that heavily emphasized the excitement of the event. The host, while speaking to an expert at the lab where the record was broken, encouraged the interviewee to provide narrative and imagery around the moment the record was broken. An approximately equal amount of time was spent describing the scene - the many screens in the control room, the months of preparation, and the real-time feedback that allowed scientists to know the record was broken the moment it happened - as was spent explaining how this accomplishment was achieved. The host also used colloquial language like “smashing records” with an enthusiastic tone of voice to instill this enthusiasm in the listener. The public policy debate, which could dampen the listener’s excitement about research, was sandwiched between two segments focused on scientific breakthrough and discovery. This allows the audience to both start and end the half-hour of radio with favorable feelings toward research.

TONE

The tone of the hosts matched the purpose of the piece, as well as, critically, the tone suited for the intended audience. It would be appropriate to speak in a highly animated way, perhaps laughing often and exclaiming, when producing content intended to encourage scientific enthusiasm in a young audience. For educated adults seeking out informational content, however, the tone of media must strike a balance between excitement and formality. Hosts never raised their voices to convey enthusiasm, preferring to use word choice and emphasis. This measured emotion was ultimately effective for maintaining scholarly credibility to an older audience.

Moreover, the tone of the broadcast did shift during the policy discussion in the middle of the episode. The host grew more reserved, not speaking too passionately to or about either side of the debate, most likely to maintain a sense of objectivity. During this section, the host did not become critical or angry, but kept an empathetic and professional composure. The effect is that this segment serves to inform the audience of expert perspectives without attempting to convince. Especially given the nature of the broadcast as publicly-funded, widely-distributed media, this works well to retain the credibility of Inside Science and the BBC.

Overall, the tone struck at during each portion of the broadcast was appropriate for the content, audience, and purpose.