Problem Areas in Science News Writing

1974 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-235
Author(s):  
Michael Ryan ◽  
James W. Tankard
Keyword(s):  
News Coverage ◽  
Science Writing ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Science News ◽  
News Writing

Problem areas in science news coverage were identified as part of a survey of the accuracy of science news reporting in newspapers. Mail questionnaires and newspaper clippings were sent to the major sources cited in the articles. Common problem areas in science writing were identified by examining the comments scientists made on the questionnaires. Specifically, seven problem areas are discussed here: finding angles, writing leads, quoting accurately, using language correctly, interpreting technical conclusions properly, avoiding sensationalism, and using the words “cure” and “breakthrough.”

Deadline Writing

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Cook
Keyword(s):  
Journal Article ◽  
World Trade Center ◽  
Science Writing ◽  
Breaking News ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Science Story ◽  
Science News ◽  
Trade Center ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The City

The moment I walked into the newsroom, I could tell that something was wrong. A group of editors were huddled around the city desk, talking. The televisions were on. People didn't just look tense; they looked genuinely worried. As I walked over to my desk, I saw the image of a burning building. It was the World Trade Center. I was standing there when the second tower fell. I had the same thought that I'm sure a lot of people had: How could this be happening? But I'm also a newspaper reporter, and I realized that there was a science story to be done: Why did the towers fall? Six or seven hours later, I needed to have a finished story that answered that question. It is hard enough to successfully translate the arcane jargon of science into a story for the general reader. A ticking clock makes it that much more difficult—the words “exciting” and “terrifying” come to mind. For a science reporter, this type of breaking news situation doesn't happen very often. One of the great surprises when I moved to science writing a few years ago was that many of the news stories that appear in daily papers were not, in fact, written on deadline. I used to be in awe that someone had the ability to boil down some complex journal article on human origins or supernovas, reach all the important people, and write a clear, elegant article in a day. Many of the big journals, of course, operate on an embargo system, in which reporters are given advance copies and allowed to report ahead of time on the understanding that they won't publish a story until the journal appears in print. But there are still times when science news must be delivered on a daily deadline, either because news breaks or because you have a scoop you don't want to lose. In these cases, I think that everyone who does this for a living develops his own set of tools for coping. Success requires a ruthless attention to where you are in the process, where you are in the day, and what you still need.

scholarly journals Aggression and Older Adults: News Media Coverage across Care Settings and Relationships

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Funk ◽  
Rachel V. Herron ◽  
Dale Spencer ◽  
Starr Lee Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
News Media ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
English Language ◽  
Frame Analysis ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Policy Responses

ABSTRACT Systematic, in-depth exploration of news media coverage of aggression and older adults remains sparse, with little attention to how and why particular frames manifest in coverage across differing settings and relationships. Frame analysis was used to analyze 141 English-language Canadian news media articles published between 2008 and 2019. Existing coverage tended towards stigmatizing, fear-inducing, and biomedical framings of aggression, yet also reflected and reinforced ambiguity, most notably around key differences between settings and relations of care. Mainstream news coverage reflects tensions in public understandings of aggression and older adults (e.g., as a medical or criminal issue), reinforced in particular ways because of the nature of news reporting. More nuanced coverage would advance understanding of differences among settings, relationships, and types of actions, and of the need for multifaceted prevention and policy responses based on these differences.

What's RIGHT with Science News Reporting?

Science ◽  
1956 ◽  
Vol 123 (3200) ◽  
pp. 707-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Krieghbaum
Keyword(s):  
News Reporting ◽  
Science News

Some Unsolved Problems of Science News Reporting

1972 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17
Author(s):  
Jan C. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Sociology Of Science ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Scientific Change ◽  
Scientific Enterprise ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Science News ◽  
News Selection ◽  
Scientific Ideas ◽  
Intellectual Creativity ◽  
Broad Understanding

Standardized news selection, rigidly patterned reporting, and an outdated conception of the nature of the scientific enterprise have produced a misleading picture of science in the mass media. The ferment of scientific ideas, the revolutionary impact of scientific change, the variety of ways in which science has been practiced, and the fundamental importance of intellectual creativity in science have all been underplayed. Thoughtful, interpretive reporting based on a broad understanding of the history, philosophy, and sociology of science could vastly improve public understanding.

scholarly journals Print media reportage of agricultural biotechnology in the Philippines: a decade’s (2000-2009) analysis of news coverage and framing

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (03) ◽  
pp. A01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariechel J. Navarro ◽  
Jenny A. Panopio ◽  
Donna Bae Malayang ◽  
Noel Amano Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Agricultural Biotechnology ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Informed Decision Making ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Media Frames ◽  
Media Agenda ◽  
The Media

This article presents key results of a ten-year study of media coverage of agricultural biotechnology in the Philippines, the only country in Asia to date to approve a biotech food/feed crop (Bt corn) for commercialization. The top three national English newspapers – Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Philippine Star were analyzed to determine patterns of media attention measured by coverage peaks, tone, source of news, keywords, and media frames used. Biotechnology news was generally positive but not high in the media agenda. News coverage was marked by occasional peaks brought about by drama and controversial events which triggered attention but not long enough to sustain interest. The study provides a glimpse into the role of mass media in a developing country context. It shows how a complex and contentious topic is integrated into the mainstream of news reporting, and eventually evolves from an emotional discourse to one that allows informed decision making.

scholarly journals Gruesome Spectacles Revisited: News Coverage of Botched Lethal Injections Since 2010

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Haojun Zhuang ◽  
Austin D. Sarat
Keyword(s):  
Death Penalty ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Newspaper Coverage ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Abolitionist Movement ◽  
Lethal Injection ◽  
Information Center ◽  
Work Done ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gas Chamber

This research is a continuation of the work done by one of the authors (Austin Sarat) in Gruesome Spectacles: Botched Executions and America’s Death Penalty. That book examined newspaper coverage of botched executions, from hangings, the electric chair, and the gas chamber firing to the early usage of lethal injection. It covered the period 1890 to 2010 and paid particular attention to changes in newspapers’ reporting of botched executions. It argued that the treatment of botched executions as “mishaps” rather than injustices blunted botched executions’ impact on the death penalty abolitionist movement. In this paper, we discuss newspaper coverage of botched lethal injections since 2010, looking closely at nine such executions identified by the Death Penalty Information Center website. Recent news reporting has mainly confirmed Sarat’s findings. However, a new component of the coverage of botched executions— interviews with the victims’ families— further dampens the impact of botched executions on support for the abolition of the death penalty.

The Mars Meteorite: A case study in controls on dissemination of science news

2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Kiernan
Keyword(s):  
American Association ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
Science News ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Reports

Through interviews with participants and analysis of media reports, this paper reconstructs the preparations for the 1996 announcement of the discovery of evidence of fossilized life in a meteorite from Mars. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) attempted to manipulate the timing and manner of press coverage. Contrary to the stated rationale for embargoes on science news, premature disclosure of the paper in the media resulted in news coverage that was largely accurate.

scholarly journals Learning with Multiple Representations: Infographics as Cognitive Tools for Authentic Learning in Science Literacy | Apprendre avec des représentations multiples: l'infographie de presse comme outil cognitif pour l'apprentissage authentique en science

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Engida Gebre
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Science Literacy ◽  
Multiple Representations ◽  
Cognitive Tools ◽  
School Students ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Science News

This paper presents a descriptive case study where infographics—visual representation of data and ideas—have been used as cognitive tools to facilitate learning with multiple representations in the context of secondary school students’ science news reporting. Despite the complementary nature of the two research foci, studies on cognitive tools and multiple representations have evolved independently. This is because research on cognitive tools has narrowly focused on technological artifacts and their impact on learning outcomes with less attention to learner agency and activity structures. This has created challenges of sustainably applying cognitive tools in classroom teaching and learning. Using data from a design-based research project where secondary school students created authentic infographic-based science news reports, this study demonstrates how infographics can serve as process-oriented cognitive tools for learning and instruction of science literacy in classroom contexts. Results have implications for the study and design of learning environments involving representations.Cet article présente une étude de cas où l'infographie de presse – offrant une représentation visuelle de données et d’idées – est utilisée comme outil cognitif pour faciliter l'apprentissage au moyen de représentations multiples dans le contexte de production de rapports scientifiques par des élèves du secondaire. Malgré la complémentarité des deux axes de recherche, les travaux sur les outils cognitifs et sur les représentations multiples ont évolué séparément. En effet, la recherche sur les outils cognitifs s'est strictement concentrée sur les artefacts technologiques et leur impact sur les résultats d'apprentissage mais a accordé moins d'attention à l’action  des apprenants et aux structures des activités. Il en résulte des défis pour l’application durable d’outils cognitifs dans l'enseignement et l'apprentissage en classe. À partir de données issues d'un projet de recherche orientée par la conception (design-based research)  dans lequel les élèves du secondaire ont produit des rapports scientifiques authentiques intégrant des infographies de presse, cette étude montre comment l’infographie de presse peut servir 

Eén bril, vele visies?

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-50
Author(s):  
Willem Buyens ◽  
Peter Van Aelst
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Economic Issue ◽  
Cultural Issue ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Content Diversity

Abstract One outlook, many perspectives? Diversity in Flemish news media and the perception of the audience A diverse range of actors and viewpoints can safeguard the quality of news reporting and the distribution of attention to different sides to a story. In this study, we look at the differences in content diversity between the news coverage on two (one socio-economic and one socio-cultural) cases in the Flemish news environment and how these differences translate into perceptions of diversity and bias with the audience. Despite limited differences in content diversity, we find that news items on the sociocultural and socio-economic case highlight different actors. Moreover, news items on the socio-cultural case are more neutral, while the coverage on the socio-economic issue contains more (balanced) viewpoints. These differences in content are largely translated into differences in perception. However, we find that a slight bias in perception of tone in the coverage on the socio-cultural issue is due to personal characteristics and issue-relevant attitudes.

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