Nowadays, society faces challenges and transformations driven by scientific and technological development. These questions demand active and responsible citizenship, which can be fostered through the spread of Science Literacy (SL) among citizens. SL empowers people to make critical and well-informed scientific decisions, connecting scientific knowledge with reflective thinking (Reincke et al., 2020; Akcay, 2018; cordis.europa.eu).

The growth of SL requires its integration with Science Education (SE) within formal educational contexts. Additionally, to maximize its effectiveness, it is valuable to consider informal and non-formal educational contexts, such as Science Communication (SC), which, offering touchpoints with SE is purposeful for educational innovation. It employs, via social media, edutainment for disseminating scientific content (EC, 2020), fostering motivation and engagement with them, and activating users through interactive, engaging and shareable activities across multiple channels and their interconnections (Sandu & Christensen, 2011; Pinto & Riesch, 2017). Notably, SC promotes SE and Media Literacy (ML), which is relevant to citizens' learning as well (Potter, 2013; EC, 2007). Therefore, the connection between SC and SE can increase SL and ML, both essential for XXI-century citizens.

Building on these assumptions, this study aims to analyse the interconnections between SL and ML to develop educational models that support active citizenship.

The research involved both science communicators and users. In the first step, participants answered a survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Then, the research explored the topics identified in the survey in depth through semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analysed using qualitative and inductive content analysis (Elo & Kyngäs, 2008) in a phenomenological approach, highlighting the participants' experiences (Mortari, 2007).

This paper presents the findings from the second step, focusing on science communicators' experiences. The interviews explored their conceptualization of SC, the characteristics of effective SC, such as the role of community, communication modalities, and medium use, and their perspectives on potential collaborations between SC and Higher Education (HE) to enhance the exposure of citizens to scientific knowledge. The findings reveal more complex sides of the meanings that communicators and users give to SC. For instance, regarding collaboration between SC and HE, evidence has been put in, indicating the necessity of fostering stronger partnerships, emphasizing aspects such as the importance of specific training about SC for researchers in HE.

Finally, the interviews revealed the science communicators’ reasons for engaging on social media, including their efforts to share scientific knowledge and to confute misinformation. They recognised the similarities with HE’s aims and advocated for greater collaboration in disseminating scientific content.

Keywords: Science Education, Science Communication, semi-structured interviews.