KISU's MindTap has been the center of an academic study on science communication in public radio.
Published in Frontier's Journal of Culture and Communication, the study titled "Science Communication in Public Radio: The Case Study of MindTap", explores the practical and theoretical considerations of creating a radio series on the challenging themes of mental health.
The study was written by two MindTap hosts Scott Greeves and Dr. Rhesa Ledbetter.
Airing seventeen episodes on KISU-FM between September 2020 and January 2021, the MindTap series aimed to bring awareness and attention to important local mental health topics. Often using a scientific lens, episodes explored topics such as opioid misuse, student-athlete mental health, and grief. Achieved episodes are available at Mind Tap | KISU.
Greeves and Ledbetter had the idea for the study after contributing to the MindTap series. The pair remarked that little scientific advice exists for radio hosts hoping to communicate science embedded within challenging social themes. They decided to rectify the issue by detailing their experiences of creating a radio series. They hope their study will provide guidance to others embarking on projects similar to MindTap.
"Dr. Ledbetter and I both felt there was a need to provide guidance to other science communicators. We learnt so much whilst working on MindTap, including the fact that the local community is invaluable in linking expert knowledge with local experiences," Greeves told KISU.
The study is available to read at the link below:
