I’ve noticed that CSIRO often puts out so many press releases announcing each of its new environment-related projects and expected findings, that by the time the results are in, it’s old news. This perhaps reflects the type of research increasingly undertaken by CSIRO – research designed to confirm the popular consensus on environmental issues and model the distant future – and also the extent of the organisation’s investment in public relations. Now the new Australia Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is likely to find out just how many press releases CSIRO puts out, with a new directive asking that CSIRO media releases be cleared by his office.
The new Secretary of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Mark Paterson, has said the new directive is not about censorship or controlling the message, but rather “consistency in message”. More likely the government appreciates the power of the organisation and the extent to which CSIRO often uses the media and the intrigue of science to push its own political message.
Read more here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/21/2124888.htm
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.