Stephen,
I agree with you about engaging the mass media. It should be encouraged.
But think the problem here might be quite different. We need to think about how we go about policing one of our own.
Should scientists be treated as professionals? If so, can anything be done to make sure they behave in a professional manner? There are procedures for sanctioning doctors who behave incompetently or mendaciously and betray the trust placed in them even if no one is actually hurt. There are also procedures for protecting doctors who behave competently and honestly, even if they accidentally do harm.
Let us imagine that the culprit is the scientist who is behind the story and not the journalists who wrote it. Assume that (for his or her own gain) a scientist abused the public's interest in a scientific endeavour (e.g. explaining human behaviour in evolutionary terms) and this scientist exploited the media for his or her own gain.
This is unprofessional conduct, in my opinion - although it might be difficult to prove or even argue, given the principle of academic freedom. But are there any
procedures in place to deter such unprofessionalism?
Lesley
________________________________________
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stephen White [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 04 March 2009 08:29
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Shopping study?! Yes it is unethical
I would like to wade in on the side of the angels and progress – in other words to support Dianne and Tim. In the last 20 plus years of outputting stories I have had excellent and accurate coverage from the tabloids, whilst at the same time having some less than excellent coverage from the so called quality end of the market.
I fail to understand why Mike, you should take such a snobbish attitude – as you well know writing short is a much harder craft skill than writing long, especially aimed at an audience with a generally lower reading age.
I really hope that we are not returning to the dark ages of no-engagement with the mass media, or selective engagement based on some bizarre notion that the tabloids are second class citizens, but I don’t think we are…because the younger scientists that I come across, in the training I do, understand perfectly well that using all the media gives them extra leverage and profile – I think the anti-media dinosaurs are a dying breed.
Cheers
Stephen White
Director of Communications
The British Psychological Society
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Reynolds
Sent: 04 March 2009 07:42
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Shopping study?! Yes it is unethical
Hmm - this thread is heading in a direction that makes me wonder what (if any) progress we have made in science communication over the past few decades if we are thinking that scientists should not engage with mass audience media.
Sure PRs (some learned institutions and professional scienific bodies included) often pull an occassional 'stunt' to get coverage that may have a greater or lesser true scientific content but that is the nature of the game I would say.
Clearly we (the subscribers to this list) have managed to determine that the science in the reported story is a little dubious and that the article might just be entertainment rather than "arse-kicking science" and I am sure most readers - including tabloid readers - can manage ths same analysis and haven't been traumatised by its content.
But if you do know people who have been affected by the story, please send me their details as I have a load of nutritional supplements and perpetual motion machines that I need to offload at discount prices!
A bientot
Tim Reynolds
Inta Communcation, Brussels
________________________________
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 22:33:47 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Shopping study?! Yes it is unethical
To: [log in to unmask]
Mike - I note that you posted this on Psci com - do you think ABSW colleagues would have a different take on this? (you ask 'em - it's your opinion)
There are two issues:
One - should scientists aid PR companies and similar in starting stories from scratch with pre-determined surveys and call them "science" - which doesn't seem to be a tabloid issue (gone - along with Roger - are the days when the Telegraph (allegedly) banned "stunt science" releases from certain organisations).
Two - if you have a genuine news story should you tell the tabloids? If its a genuine story and it's covered elsewhere you've then just got a load of pissed off tabloid hacks wanting to know why they aren't good enough for you - and - if they've an editor breathing down their neck - determined to come up with some sort of story anyhow.
Two - subpara one - as Mary rightly says - there are some stories you actively want to solicit tabloid involvement with because they've got the reader profile you need.
Given that it was the Telegraph who printed the story that started this correspondence and that the Sunday Times view on the causes of AIDs was for a long time scandalously misguided, I think you should be advising them not to talk to journalists at all.
Is Sir Walter Bodmer out there somewhere? - I think we need a report....
Cheers - Dianne
Dianne Stilwell
Communications Consultant
88 Munster Road
Teddington
Middx TW11 9LW
+44 (0)20 8977 6520
+44 (0)7957 200214
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
On 3 Mar 2009, at 18:28, Michael Kenward wrote:
When I talk to scientists about working with the media, as I did last
Thursday at Sussex, I deter them from talking to the tabloids. They arrive
with an agenda that cannot really accommodate "proper" or even improper
science.
MK
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