„The public relations sub-project involves non-scientific publics in the research process and research communication. At the center of the public relations work are the controversies and issues that are being researched across the sub-projects.“

Summary

For the third funding phase, SFB "Media of Cooperation" will be supplemented by the public relations module in order to systematically involve non-scientific publics in the research process and research communication. The SFB's declared goal of conducting basic digital research and examining the cooperative constitution of data-intensive and sensory media forms the basis for classifying and designing developments in the field of digital media and technologies. To this end, SFB is developing a concept of public relations that does not see it as classic science communication in the sense of an outreach to a specialized sub-public 'science', but as science in cooperation with different publics.

Central points of reference for working with publics are the controversies and issues that are researched across the various sub-projects and specific publics involved in their negotiation processes and create them     cooperatively. Not only negotiating controversies in digital media plays a role, but also the controversies and crises of the media themselves. This cooperative and reciprocal interlocking of controversies, public opinion and media research must be made visible and specifically integrated into public relations work. This is preceded by an understanding of “staggered public spheres” (Zillinger 2017). The sub-project differentiates between broad, specialized and critical publics. By getting the general public interested in controversies, involving specialized publics in a cooperative manner in research design and creating critical publics on controversial topics across these, Ö addresses and informs about existing issues with a view to the research taking place in the sub-projects.

The public relations sub-project will coordinate, continuously reflect on and communicate the processes and forms of collaborative knowledge production in terms of opening up scientific practice. Results of cooperative research and design are presented in short publications (e.g. blog posts, newspaper articles, SFB working papers, graphic recordings), scientific contributions, an SFB toolkit and a concept paper for cooperative research and design at SFB, University of Siegen, respective stakeholder groups and publics. The measures aim to create a cooperative public that, in close cooperation with SFB's staggered publics, provides critical and formative impulses.