Bridging Worlds: The Power of Civic Science Media

A new frontier in collaboration is changing how communities engage with science—and you’re invited to join this transformative work.

Imagine a neighborhood in Detroit where residents armed with air quality sensors are working alongside journalists to track pollution block by block. Picture young Arizonans designing climate future games that let players visualize the impact of their choices. Envision communities sharing powerful stories about AI’s effects on their lives—stories that are now shaping legislation.

This is civic science media in action—creating dialogue, building trust, and fostering participatory approaches that democratize scientific knowledge while ensuring science addresses community priorities and concerns.

In 2023, the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University partnered with the Rita Allen Foundation to launch an exciting initiative: seed grants designed specifically to accelerate collaborations between journalism organizations and civic science groups. These partnerships tackled science-based issues directly affecting local communities, from air pollution’s impact on public health to climate resilience.

The results were remarkable. In Cicero, Illinois, one such collaboration led directly to policy changes addressing environmental justice concerns. But this was just the beginning.

Our work draws from seminal research including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ “The Public Face of Science” initiative, the National Academies’ “Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda” consensus report, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s global media partnership studies. These critical resources affirm the urgent need for building bridges between scientific communities and the public through innovative approaches that strengthen both democratic participation and scientific advancement.

Building on these reports and the Civic Science Fellows program, we’ve expanded our exploration in 2024, collecting compelling examples of civic science media projects and engaging with field leaders to understand how media can strengthen the vital connections between science and communities. These stories reveal a powerful truth: when media acts as an active partner with both communities and scientists, we create something greater than the sum of its parts.

Our goal with this report is simple yet ambitious: to offer insights that help funders, civic science practitioners, institutions, and media makers understand how storytelling can amplify science’s reach and impact. By working together across traditional boundaries, we’re creating new models of engagement that reflect community values and foster greater understanding and trust.

This is an invitation to join us in writing the next chapter of civic science media—one where science and society come together through stories that matter.

Are you ready to be part of this story?

Elizabeth Good Christopherson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Rita Allen Foundation

Stefanie Murray
Director, Center for Cooperative Media
Montclair State University