Bob - thanks for the pointer, but I haven't read Goldacre's latest
column in the Groan, and am not inclined to invest any time in doing
so. I can no longer take this publication seriously on any subject.
I tend to agree in part with Goldacre on the poor state of science
journalism in Britain. It is in my view a particularly British
problem, and not one I detect in, say, the German or Scandinavian
media. But I'm getting thoroughly tired of this pseudo-blog rant which
focuses on slagging off journalists, and fails to look at the bigger
picture.
That bigger picture is the subject of an article in this week's Nature
by Geoff Brumfiel on the crisis in science journalism, and the rise in
science blogging:
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090318/full/458274a.html
Brumfiel's article is well worth reading.
A stream-of-consciousness comment can be found here:
http://sedgemore.com/2009/03/can-blogging-replace-science-journalism
In Brumfiel's piece is a reference to churnalism and the reasons why
this happens. Not excuses, note, but explanations based on dwindling
numbers of professional science journalists, and the pressures on
those still in employment to produce several stories per day.
As a freelance I may not have editors constantly breathing down my
neck, but there are still time pressures, and I have to watch the
clock in order to ensure that jobs are economically viable.
That said, reading journal papers and interviewing research leaders is
in my view an absolute must, as are second if not third opinions.
Science journalists rely on press releases to know what's being done
in the research world (here I agree with Bob), but a press release
should be no more than a pointer to the source.
Personally, I'm getting pissed off with the whole thing, and wondering
whether I should continue working as a journalist in the UK. Maybe
I'll jump ship and instead turn my attention to science PR copywriting
- i.e., writing press releases for overworked or lazy reporters to
rehash - or abandon science communication altogether and return to
space industry contracting. There's little work available in science
publishing (including the B2B sector in which I've specialised), and
it's becoming increasingly difficult to make a living in this industry.
Francis
--
Dr Francis Sedgemore
journalist and science writer
http://sedgemore.com
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