Science journalism
Categories: Journalism genres | Science
Science journalism is a relatively new branch of journalism, which utilizes the art of reporting to convey information on science topics to a public forum. The communication of scientific knowledge via mass media requires a special relationship between the world of science and news media, which is still just beginning to form.
In recent years, the amount of scientific news has grown rapidly with science playing an increasingly central role in society. Interaction between the scientific community and news media has been therefore inevitable. The differences between the methodologies of these two "pillars" of modern society, foremost their distinct ways of developing their realities, have lead to some difficulties.
Science news and the truth
A sharp line should be drawn between scientific truth and truth in the news media. The first exist only in a specific context, relative to past research and discoveries, and are always subject to review and revision according to the scientific method. There are uncertainties associated with scientific discoveries, which can be accepted as working theories if, for instance, they have practical applications that help validate them. With this attitude, a scientist would say, "with the information we have today, it seems that...".
Probabilities are in principle not good sources of news, and consequently the scientific approach to "the truth" is usually not adopted in news media. Reporters hunt for commanding headlines, clear-cut statements, and certain information, although it may not be as certain as advertised. The journalist, in this role, acts as a translator of new scientific information into the reality of news media.