IAC 2021 GNF Media Panel – A roundtable on the role of media in promoting space activities

Day: Friday 29 October
Time: 13:40 -14:40 GST
Location: Sheikh Rashid Hall F, Dubai World Trade Centre

Space is a topic of public interest and broad public support to space activities is the foundation for creating political commitment. However, in the past, space institutions and advocacy bodies have not always been able to effectively convey the benefits that space activities bring to society. Media plays a key role in communicating highly complex and technical subjects to a broad public in an understandable way and – as such – is the link between the scientific community and society.

In 2021 we are seeing important new developments in space, including new tourist and non-professional flights into space, new, large satellite constellations, questions raised about sustainability of space, including space debris, challenges around ownership and exploitation of space resources and the role of space in monitoring and finding solutions against climate change. We also see new actors in human space flight, including commercial organisations and a fast-growing presence of China and hopefully soon India.

In this original and cutting-edge session, international journalists and media representatives will discuss some of the following topics:

How has the way space activities have been communicated and promoted to the non-space community and general public changed and evolved over the past 60+ years of the space era?
With an increasing number of storylines related to space, how can the media ensure a balanced report of the expanding number of activities and actors in space?
What is the responsibility of media in explaining and promoting space activities?
How can space organisations (government, industry, academia) better communicate and promote space activities?