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Trust and Confidence at the Interfaces of the Life Sciences and Society Does the Public Trust Science? A Workshop Summary (2015) / Chapter Skim
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5 Full Court Press: Trusted and Trustworthy Media
Pages 27-32

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From page 27...
... Although university press offices are dedicated to building institutional reputations, Englehardt said that press releases do not always reflect a full understanding of the details of research findings because of the pressure to get material out quickly. Lack of understanding and context can decrease the quality of press releases that are picked up by journalists as part of what Tim Caulfield of the University of Alberta termed "the hype pipeline".
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From page 28...
... There are "errors of omission" in what is quoted by the media, but Caulfield said that the material is generally accurate even if it lacks important context. TRUSTWORTHINESS OF SCIENCE NEWS Ivan Oransky of Retraction Watch and MedPage Today moderated a panel discussion on the challenges faced by Web, print, and radio media in identifying reliable sources and promoting intelligent scientific discussion.
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From page 29...
... All the panelists expressed concern about reductions in the number of experienced reporters covering science and medicine. Szabo said that general-assignment reporters have "the hardest job in the newsroom" because "every day is like the first day on the job," they have to rapidly learn BOX 5-1 Journalists Hensley, Belluz, and Vox described a wide range of characteristics they take into consideration for selecting and determining the trustworthiness of sources for a science news story:  Expertise  Credibility  Objectivity  Potential conflicts of interest  Availability to response  Timeliness of response to a contact or telephone call  Succinctness  Clarity  Quotability
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From page 30...
... Hensley echoed Szabo's concerns about "the hollowing out of newsrooms" and about how reduction in the number of experienced science reporters weakens the balance that is designed to optimize reporting. Panelists said that the unfavorable effect of the staffing trends is exacerbated by an increase in the number of inexperienced reporters who work in specialty fields with less of an editorial safety net.
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From page 31...
... The media panelists and other workshop attendees spoke repeatedly about the challenges to both scientists and the public of navigating a new information age in which experienced journalists, nonscientist celebrities (such as Jenny McCarthy) , and the lay public all have access to communication-technology platforms that facilitate the initiation and curation of complex scientific discussion.
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Key Terms

  • press releases
  • science news
  • press offices
  • communication offices
  • covering science

  • experienced science
  • science reporters
  • reliable sources
  • science journalists
  • public trust

  • scientific discussion
  • media panelists
  • mass media
  • public audiences
  • experienced journalists

  • generalist reporters
  • science stories
  • external grant
  • media enhance
  • science specialists

  • build media
  • public discussion
  • increasing presence
  • panelists acknowledged
  • identify reliable

  • generalists covering
  • liz szabo
  • unseasoned reporters
  • traditional sources
  • media coverage


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