Knowledge Communication: Transparency, Democracy, Global Governance

Book excerpt: Knowledge communication is a subject intensely discussed nowadaysas there is much buzz in the academia about the crisis of scientific authority. Fundamental research but also popular culture, special magazines, traditional books, find increasingly rarer common terms with new audiences like web 2.0 practitioners and various multi-media consumers. There are even pedigree cultured people that seem to accept no more traditional communicating supports and act conflictually towards them. Some voices claim that general audiences are superficial and consumerist; but on the other hand many speak about lack of openness for the general audience from scientists themselves. The audience of science is therefore fundamental and all the papers in this volume touch it in many ways. Another direction that will be consistent with all these papers along the book is the knowledge as a resource for cultural and regional policies, tourism industry and so forth. Transparency, globalization, regionalization, have no meaning without distinctive specters of regions and local cultures that assert themselves besides traditional European countries.