Issues and challenges in science writing to mass media

1. SCIENCE WRITING IN MASS MEDIA:
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Invited Lecture
DST sponsored Workshop on
Science writing for Mass Media
Dept. Mass Communication & Journalism
Mangalore University
20—22 March 2014
Jayakara Bhandary M.
Associate Professor & Head
Dept. of Botany, GFGC, Karwar
mbjaikar@gmail.com

2. How many Earths? our beloved Milky Way may host
billions of stars with Earth-like planets.

3. Lithium batteries that can perch on the head of a pin.

4. bionic eye – gifting sight to the vision impaired.

5. These funny-looking rodents could wind up teaching
humans a lot about cancer.

6. (Higgs) boson particles … The God Particles?

7. The invisibility Cloak of Harry Potter turning a reality..?
Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/top-10-
scientific-discoveries-of-2013.htm

8. • Science inseparable part of modern
life
• modern Society is S & T driven.
• Science Literacy/awareness
essential
– Informed choices
– Distinguish risks & benefits
– Public Debate
– Policy Making
Impact of science & technology

9. BT
NT
RT
ETET
ST
ICT
Progressing science

10. biodiversity agriculture
Autom
obiles
enviro
nment
Commu
nication
gadjets
Electronic
gadgets
health
People like to read

11. Science Communication?
• public media presenting science related topics to non-
scientists and non-scientific communities.
• processes by which the scientific culture and its
knowledge are incorporated into the common culture
• the practice of producing and negotiating meanings, a
practice which always takes place under specific social,
cultural and political conditions.
• It involves use of appropriate skills, media, activities,
and dialogue to produce one or more of the following
personal responses to science: Awareness, enjoyment,
interests, opinion forming, and understating

12. Purpose
• Awareness, including familiarity with new
aspects of science
• Enjoyment or other affective responses, e.g.
appreciating science as entertainment or art.
• Interest, as evidenced by voluntary involvement
with science or its communication.
• Opinions, the forming, reforming, or confirming
of science-related attitudes.
• Understanding of science, its content, process,
and social factors, etc.

13. WHY KNOW SCIENCE?
• Knowing the facts and principle of Science and its
applications – cognitive development
• Understanding science as a social enterprise-
History and development
• Relating to environment – natural, artifacts and
people
• Cultivating Scientific Temper – objectivity, critical
thinking, freedom from fear and prejudice
• Concern and care for HUMANITY and
ENVIRONMENT

14. SCIENCE FOR
CREATIVITY AND
INNOVATION
S
C
I
E
N
C
E
CURIOSITY
AWARENESS/THINKING
APPLICATION
INNOVATION
ASSIMILATION
INTEGRATION
ASSOCIATION
OBSERVATION

15. PUBLIC SOURCE OF SCIENCE INFO..
• Public understanding and perception of S&T
issues are mainly shaped by their depiction in
mass media
– Print
– Electronic
SCIENCE WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA is
ESSENTIAL
CRITICAL
RESPONSIBLE

16. PROVEN POWER OF
POPULAR SCIENCE WRITING….

17. WHO?
• Scientists? Good, but
too busy!?
• Freelancers
• Journalists
• Doing good. But many
hurdles…

18. GREAT SCIENTISTS WERE ALSO GOOD
SCIENCE WRITERS

19. RACE FOR SPACE…
• Over - Obsession with
Politics, Entertainment…
• Science coverage - 3%
• Periodic, Major Events..
• Exclusive Science Magazines,
Columns, Pages

21. Popular, powerful, easily accessible
to common people

22. TRAINING / NETWORKING
• Researchers to write simple
science
• Journalists – No science
background
• Journalism College/Departments
–Specialisation /Short term
Courses
in Science Journalism
Science Writing to Researchers

23. Researchers
Writers Institutions

28. INFO. SOURCES
• Journals in-accessible to writers
• Labs/Institutes – no sharing
• Newsletters/In house Publications
• Online Repositories
• Email alerts
• Free Online journals

37. NEUTRAL WRITING
• Phrasing
• Clarify, Don’t confuse
• Too far fetched
conclusions
• Lobbying..
Society is generally science – phobic,
suspicious ?!

38. THINK LOCAL..
Local languages, issues,
examples, context
• translation of Western
Science/Research
• Local Relevance?
• Local actions, Innovations
• Translation – Technical Words?

42. GOING BEYOND SCIENCE..
• Mere Description of Science Facts/events -
little use to Society
• Weighing Benefits vs Risks
• Analysis of Socio-economical implications,
ethical impacts are important.

44. PSUEDO SCIENCE…

45. WRITING SCIENCE IS AN
• A... ACCURATE, ATTRACTIVE
• R… RESPONSIBLE, RELEVANT, RELIABLE
• T… TIMELY, Thoughtful
A R T

46. thanks
This ppt presentation can be
viewed / downloaded from
www.slideshare.net/jayakar
Contact: mbjaikar@gmail.com
94481110190