CEO Dorien Luyckx & Editor-in-Chief Raf Scheers talk strategy, responsibility, and the way forward
As Eos marks its 40th year, we sat down with Raf Scheers, the long-standing Editor-in-Chief, and Dorien Luyckx, the recently appointed CEO. Raf has been a constant at Eos since 2002, guiding its editorial direction with stability and integrity. Dorien, with a PhD in Communication Sciences, brings a fresh but highly relevant perspective to Eos’s leadership.
Together, they form a well-positioned duo to navigate Eos into its next chapter, with impact on the future of science journalism and communication in Flanders.
Let’s find out more about Eos’s past achievements, ongoing evolution, and future plans. Above all, we’ll discuss how Eos aims to fortify its connections with the vibrant community of researchers in Flanders.
EOS is celebrating its 40th anniversary. What inspired its inception? What was the original mission?
RAF \ “I wasn’t there at the beginning, but I can share some history. In 1983, Eos was launched during the era of Flanders Technology International. This governmental initiative aimed at promoting technological innovation and entrepreneurship in the Flemish region of Belgium. The local publishing house Het Volk saw an opportunity for a technology-focused magazine.”
“Eos was named after the goddess of dawn, symbolizing the bright future that science and technology promised. The magazine primarily aimed at promoting technology. If you read the early issues, they are quite optimistic, perhaps too much so. For example, the first edition featured an exclusively positive article on nuclear energy—a stance that would not hold up today. But the very first subscribers, visitors of the Flanders Technology exhibitions, must have liked it.”
Has the goal of Eos evolved over the years?
RAF \ “Yes, the mission has seen a shift especially since the early 2000s. We adopted a more critical position and started to diversify. We expanded our scope to include not just technology, but all sciences and we began including issues with societal importance. This is also the time we started our still standing collaboration with Scientific American.”
“As for the format, we’ve evolved along with media trends. We launched our website and even took a pioneering role with ‘Scilogs’, in collaboration with Scientific American and its international editions. This science blog portal directly brought insights from researchers to the public. We launched an iPad edition and developed several newsletters. The digital sphere is now our primary focus.”
All starting from a magazine... What role does the magazine play in the media platform you are now?
RAF \ “It used to be our flagship, but now it’s one element within a broader system. Our former print-centric approach dictated our editorial rhythm. We’ve evolved toward a more integrated way of working, allowing us to be more flexible in topic selection across all platforms. But there is still room for improvement. The magazine remains important, particularly in our financial model.”
DORIEN \ “Audiences and their needs differ across our various channels. We aim to engage different segments in unique ways, determined by how people prefer to consume science journalism and news.”
Considering the different audiences for your various channels, has the Eos audience or the interest in science evolved over the years?
DORIEN \ “It’s difficult to pin down, but we keep an eye on trends via in-house and external data. What stands out is how traditional views of what a scientist is and who is interested in science are finally crumbling down, but still need to be challenged. Because of that, people might say ‘no’ when asked if they’re interested in science. But everyone is curious about the world around them, so, essentially, people are interested in science, often without realizing it. We aim to capture and fuel that curiosity by bringing scientific insights to a broader audience. Always with an emphasis on depth and accessibility.”
Is this one of the roles Eos plays in the landscape of science journalism?
RAF \ “Indeed, our role is to capture curiosity and share the science behind it. While daily news touch on science topics, we provide that extra layer of depth, often in collaboration with researchers. It’s vital for us to build and maintain strong connections with the research community.”
DORIEN \ “That connection with researchers is crucial to provide context to what’s in the news. We have our own set of topics and themes that we cover well, but we aim to become more responsive. Currently, there’s a gap between the quick, daily news and the in-depth analyses we provide. We want to add that extra layer in-between.”
And how in-depth can you go?
RAF \ “Catering to different levels of complexity is crucial in our work. We aim for a good balance. For example, our magazine contains more complex pieces from Scientific American alongside our own, easier-to-digest articles. No explicit warnings are given for the different complexities in our magazine, which doesn’t seem to be a problem. We believe this diverse range enhances the reader’s experience.”
“When we want to delve deep into complex topics, our journalists often collaborate with domain experts. We find that these partnerships produce content that’s both engaging and informative.”
DORIEN \ “Collaborating with experts is just one dimension of our mission. We also aim to enrich their knowledge base. To advance this, we’re launching a new initiative: the ‘KennisKiosk’ (‘Knowledge Kiosk’). Supported by the Flemish department for Media with European funding, this platform will serve as a all-you-can-read science platform, which will not only feature Eos content but also include domain-specific expert insights and scholarly publications across a wide range of disciplines.”
Artificial Intelligence might be one of these disciplines... Are you AI adopters?
DORIEN \ “The role of the editor is paramount. Currently, we’re not implementing AI due to certain challenges that need to be solved like copyright issues and the generation of false information and scientific sources. Generative AI offers avenues to adapt existing content for different audience segments. But with all AI implementation at Eos, editorial oversight remains key.”
RAF \ “AI can be useful in suggesting relevant articles to readers based on their reading history. Within our editorial team, we sometimes use AI to facilitate brainstorming around themes and even titles. However, transparency is crucial. If AI is employed, it must be disclosed; as was the case with the cover image of our edition on AI.”
Besides journalistic work, Eos is also a structural partner of the Flemish Government. What does this role entail?
RAF \ “Our role as a partner with the Flemish Government is encapsulated in a five-year covenant that recently came to an end. As we’ve just completed our evaluation, we are laying the groundwork for a new agreement. This covenant embraces two key pillars: science journalism and science communication.”
“Science journalism is independently verified and aims to offer in-depth perspectives. On the other hand, science communication involves collaborative endeavors to assist others in conveying scientific insights. Examples of our work in science communication include supporting blogs and forming partnerships with knowledge institutes.”
DORIEN \ “Eos is involved in various science communication projects, often in collaboration with partners from the Flemish research ecosystem. We’re committed to narrowing the gap between scientists and the public through initiatives like ‘Ikhebeenvraag,’ ‘Grijze cellen,’ and ‘Wetenschapscafés,’ among others, as well as citizen science projects. Our key partners include the expertise cells of academic associations and communication units of research institutions, with whom we aim to discover untapped audiences. Whether they are readers, viewers, listeners, or followers, we continuously explore new avenues to engage them.”
RAF \ “But in all efforts, be it journalism or communication projects, editorial responsibility remains paramount, and one-sided promotion is avoided. Both pillars prioritize compelling storytelling, a focus that’s gaining traction among younger scientists. Striking the right balance between comprehensive explanation and not patronizing our audience remains a nuanced, yet crucial, editorial responsibility.”
In your effort to deepen the understanding of science in news items and to reach new audiences, researchers play a crucial role.
DORIEN \ “Absolutely, that’s why we’re thrilled to see an increasing focus on science communication within the Flemish research landscape. The profiles the local research community attracts increasingly view it as an integral part of their job. Next to that, there is a growing pool of professional science communicators, something we applaud. We see them as future partners to help us get in touch with new researchers or to help us identify novel angles of known research stories. The broad view they have on different research fields can lead us to new goldmines to explore.”
RAF \ “We recognize the need to fortify our relationship with researchers. Despite existing initiatives, researchers often don’t find the way. Currently, we reach out to them via expertise and communication cells within their research institutions. However, it’s evident that we must explore new avenues for connection. As Dorien pointed out, professional science communicators can play an important role, but we’re also committed to connect directly with researchers and lower entry barriers for individuals.”
DORIEN \ “We are developing several new initiatives. We are launching a science community panel to assess specific needs regarding science communication. Besides our Advisory Board of around 30 people who are regularly consulted, this new panel would offer direct input from researchers on how Eos can best support them in their science communication journey and foster closer collaborations.”
“We hope this will energize many researchers to literally become co-authors of the Eos narrative.”
---
How to contribute to Eos?
Eos publishes blogs in Dutch by scientists on its website. The best ones might be published in the magazine.
Give Eos advice and feedback on how to better support scientists in their science communication activities via their ‘Wetenschapspanel’ in return for a peek behind-the-scenes, training or prizes.
‘ikhebeenvraag.be’ is a participative platform where people ask questions and get answers from scientists.
Do you have a great idea for a podcast series, video project or article series?
Eos also offers training in science communication.
Get in touch via www.eoswetenschap.eu/eosblogs community@eos.be
Comments