I thought you might pick up this bit Philip:
"How do other bloggers balance a sense of journalistic integrity, a desire to positively communicate science and campaigning in the interest of science, I wonder?"
Bloggers can't balance a sense of journalistic integrity with those things because they have nothing to do with journalistic integrity.
I am not the only one to point it out – Tom Wilkie did it at recent UK Conference of Science Journalists and Steve Connor has said it many times in my presence – but it is not a journalist's job to "positively communicate science" or to indulge in "campaigning in the interest of science".
That is what separates bloggers from journalists. Bloggers believe in all those things. Journalists just follow the story. It may more many not "positively communicate science" it may or may not be "in the interest of science". If anything, the best stories are quite the opposite.
I was recently talking to one of the grand old men of science journalism. (Nearly as old as me even.) We got into one of those usual philosophical discussions. (And this was before we had a drink.) His response to my question "What is science journalism for?" was "To hold the buggers to account". Seems about right to me, even if it isn't likely to positively communicate science – or even to communicate science positively – or be in the interest of science.
MK
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Philip Hunt
Sent: 2014-July-25 12:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] SciLogs Blogging
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Dear Paige,
Thank you for your kind offer. But I think you're missing the
essential point here. My post took time to write, and after writing it
I decided it was worth posting on my own blog at
http://www.shoeman.eu/on-value-of-blogging/
My reasoning? That if I'm to spend time writing something that will
not bring any financial gain, then I might as well at least use the
time and result to benefit my own blog. Because 6 years down the line,
who knows where it might lead. There's another reason – very important
in these days of digital-first – I retain the copyright!
I'm not going to spend time and effort boosting the online profile of
another organisation, and risk losing my copyright to boot, when no
remuneration is being offered. For a writer, that would be a no-win
situation. Of course I understand that for those scientists and
researchers who are already being paid a salary, the situation may be
different.
But I'm afraid that operations like yours are part of the problem
facing the creative world today – that of, essentially, a distraction.
If you are to earn (any kind of) a living writing today, then you have
to closely examine the time/reward equation. Otherwise, you go out of
business and do something else.
I believe that in the commercial world it's called watching the bottom
line!
Regards,
Philip
[log in to unmask]
+32 2 687 2177
+32 484 361336 (mob)
www.lines.be/
www.shoeman.eu/
> Philip, I think some of the things you are talking about deserve to
> be talked about in the science blogosphere - I would be happy to
> host your thoughts on this on our Guest Blog at SciLogs.com.
>
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