Government scientists attend a media briefing on COVID-19 at Downing Street in London, September 14, 2021. Justin Tallis/Pool via REUTERS
2022-05-18 11:18
Government scientists attend a media briefing on COVID-19 at Downing Street in London, September 14, 2021. Justin Tallis/Pool via REUTERS
In this episode we look at the relationship between scientists and journalists with Fiona Fox, from the Science Media Centre
With COVID-19 and climate change being two of the biggest issues facing the world in recent years, and for years to come, never has it been more important for journalists to have a firm understanding of the science driving them. Despite this, the goals of journalists and scientists can sometimes be at odds. Where science "values detail, precision, the impersonal, the technical, the lasting facts, numbers and being right," as science journalist Quentin Cooper writes, journalism prioritises "brevity, approximation, the personal, the colloquial, the immediate, stories, words, and being right now". In this episode of Future of Journalism, we speak to someone who has attempted to bridge the gap between science and journalism.
Our guest Fiona Fox is the Chief Executive of the Science Media Centre. She works with journalists and members of the scientific community to ensure that accurate and evidence-based scientific information reaches the public and policymakers via the media. Fiona’s recent book ‘Beyond the Hype’, the inside story of science's biggest media controversies, looks at her first 20 years at the Science Media Centre, and demonstrates the vital importance of scientists talking to the media.
Our host Rasmus Nielsen is Director of the Reuters Institute and Professor of Political Communication at the University of Oxford. His work focuses on changes in the news media, political communication, and the role of digital technologies in both.
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