Real-Life Science Communicators: Learning from the experiences of television production company NHNZ

Abstract

Much can be learnt studying science communication within academia, but a great deal can also be gained from considering real world examples. The work of a New Zealand based television production company, NHNZ, is studied in this thesis.

Individuals from the company were interviewed and a combination of their recollections, newspaper articles, press releases and books have been used to create a picture of the company’s 37-year history. To analyse NHNZ’s catalogue of programmes and gauge how much science they intentionally communicated over time, three categories have been developed: ‘shows with an intentional science focus’, ‘shows with an intentional science component’ and ‘shows with no intentional science’. Selected programmes are reviewed to reveal changes in the style of presentation. These two analytical approaches are also applied to the creative component of this thesis (a 25-minute film Gris), which suggest that it largely conforms to the trends observed in the work of NHNZ. The study reveals a diversification of topics and styles in the work of NHNZ and a shift in their catalogue away from shows focused solely on science to a more balanced output, including a large portion of shows without science. A multitude of reasons for these changes are identified, including changes in ownership, influential personalities, a turbulent and dynamic market place and evolving audience demands. This thesis will, I hope, be a useful resource for current and future science communicators, particularly when studying and creating documentaries. It also provides an account of a fascinating and largely unrecorded company history.