The March 2016 issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal (CAPj) is a special issue featuring articles about the communication campaign for ESA’s Rosetta mission.
Writers and editors from EJR-Quartz, who have been deeply involved in many aspects of the campaign, welcomed the opportunity to share their experience with other science communicators.
“We had been approached many times by people working in communication and outreach, asking us about various aspects of the campaign, and it became clear that there was quite some interest in hearing about our experiences with different aspects of the Rosetta campaign,”
says Karen O’Flaherty, Chief Editor for ESA’s Science & Technology and Robotic Exploration of Mars websites, and one of EQ’s editors working on the campaign.
“We were delighted when CAPj agreed to support a dedicated issue, and many thanks are due to CAPj’s Editor-in-Chief, Georgia Bladon, and the team at the journal for producing this great issue, as well as to all of the authors who contributed to this special issue.”
This special issue of CAPj features articles about the strategy adopted for the communication campaign, the development and impact of the cartoon series, insights into the role played by social media, lessons learnt from running competitions, and the behind-the-scenes story of how ESA made a short science fiction film.
In addition, there are guest columns describing the making of a documentary film about the mission, and on blogging live during an historic event, along with a review of the communication campaign from the perspective of someone who was not directly involved.
