Major Issues

In
Science Journalism
SCIENCE
JOURNALISM A Scientists

Science journalism conveys

reporting about science to the
public. The field typically involves
interactions between scientists,
journalists, and the public.

B C
Journalists Audience
The aim of a science journalist is to render very detailed, specific, and often jargon-
laden information produced by scientists into a form that non-scientists can understand
and appreciate while still communicating the information accurately. One way science
journalism can achieve that is to avoid an information deficit model of communication,
which assumes a top-down, one-way direction of communicating information that limits
an open dialogue between knowledge holders and the public. One such way of sparking
an inclusive dialogue between science and society that leads to a broader uptake of
post-high school science discoveries is science blogs.[5] Science journalists face an
increasing need to convey factually correct information through storytelling techniques
in order to tap both into the rational and emotional side of their audiences, the latter of
which to some extent ensuring that the information uptake persists.
 WHY SCIENCE JOURNALISM
IMPORTANT?

As public radio journalists, we face tremendous challenges as we strive to present such

complex information to our audiences. Before we can tell a science story we need to grasp
the science behind it, keeping up with fast-paced science and identifying reliable sources
quickly. The creative challenges are also immense: how to unfold a multilayered story using
only sound. And we must realize that there is more than one understanding of truth and
evidence: for instance, perspectives based on science, law, politics, economics and faith.
They play a significant role in key political, economic, cultural and policy discussions,
furthermore as publicly dialogue.
Major Issues in Science journalism:

• Lack of recognition (formal and informal).

• Lack of time due to the excessive bureaucratic burden to get funds and
projects and the competitiveness of science itself.

• Lack of specialised training in science communication.

• Fear of discredit from peers or of being misunderstood by the public or by

journalists.
• Journalists who work in various Indian regional languages often seem to
face special challenges in covering science as they have to make science
understandable to the readers of regional languages.
• The lack of interest among the mainstream media on issues related to
science and technology stems from the fact that science writing, requires
proper training and skills.

• The lack of manpower is particularly evident in the field of science

journalism.

• The lack of formal science communication training is particularly evident

as some of the science communicators still subscribe to deficit model,
which has long been disproven in literature.
Several Obstacles:
1)communication gap among journalists,

2) lack of proper planning for communication,

3)cultural and political opposition,

4)scientific community’s fear of media distortion,

5) bureaucratic and legal obstacles,

6) difficulty in translating in local languages,

7) scientists wanting to keep secrecy of their knowledge,

8) scientists discouraged from communicating by their managers,

9) science communication seen as a waste of resources,

10) lack of strong political will, etc.

Thank you
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