Issues 87, June 2009
SCIENCE AND THE MEDIA

Editorial

Controversy: Silence Is
a Scientist’s Worst Enemy
Susannah Eliott, Director, Australian Science Media Centre
How can the average person tell good science from bad, and what role should the rest of the scientific community play in helping us through the maze?

Science Journalism Threatened
Peter Pockley, Senior Correspondent, Australasian Science
Specialisation of reportage and commentary in mainstream media, exemplified by science, is under serious threat in Australia and overseas.

A Noun in Your Auricle
Rob Morrison, science communicator
Pedantry or problem? Loose science terminology is an issue in the media.

A Dearth of Research
Communication by Scientists
Tim Thwaites, National President, Australian Science Communicators
Science can be stalled by public misunderstanding, yet science communication is relatively new in Australia. Tim Thwaites explains why, and how the dearth of science communication is being addressed.

Perils of the Junk Information Age
Julian Cribb, science communicator
Society today is awash in junk information that is contaminating not only responsible journalism but also the very ability of democracies to make sound decisions in their own best interests.

How Science Is Framed
Joan Leach, Convenor, Science Communication Program, University of Queensland
Scientific, medical, and environmental issues are subject to the same types of linguistic framing that are used in advertising and other persuasive communication.

Scientists, Nanotechnologies
and the Media
Alan Petersen, Monash University, and Alison Anderson, Plymouth University, UK
How do scientists view the media? And how might this shape their interactions with journalists and the nature of news coverage?

Frontiers of Science Communication
Joan Leach and Maureen Burns, University of Queensland
Joan Leach and Maureen Burns reflect on Frontiers of Science, a 1960s and 1970s comic strip series they are researching as examples of science mediation in the 20th century.

Medicine in the News
Amanda Wilson, Ian Kirkwood, David Henry and Alison Jones, reviewers for www.mediadoctor.org.au
Most people find out about new health treatments from the media, but how just accurate is this information and how can you tell?

Sharing Science with
Better Science Communication
Nancy Longnecker, Coordinator, Science Communication Program, University of Western Australia
Nancy Longnecker describes Australian university options for budding science communicators.

Teaching Scientists to
Interact with the Media
Jennifer Metcalfe, Director, Econnect Communication; and Toss Gascoigne, Executive Director, Australian Science Innovations
Many scientists lack the skills or encouragement to speak to the media successfully. Media skills training provides a way for scientists to confidently use the media to talk about their work.

What’s in Store for Science Journalism?
Nicky Phillips, science journalist, ABC Radio National
What does the future of science journalism hold? Nicky Phillips traces its transformation, technology and opportunities.