Public online engagement with science blogs and podcasts: A multimethod assessment of effectiveness in the German academic context

Science communication is increasingly shaped by policy demands to engage the public and stakeholders. This study integrates the Public Engagement with Science framework (PES) with a systematic evaluation model to assess the effectiveness of online science communication in the academic context. Employing a multimethod approach, we link web and social media data with survey responses from science bloggers and podcasters from German universities and research institutions. The study highlights the ongoing transition from one-way science communication to PES, demonstrating that institutional practices strategically aim to foster engagement, while resources, established practices, and technical affordances are key to making this effective.