Media Coverage of Science, Health

1
Media Coverage of Science, Health Environmental
Issues

• Seven papers on media reporting of the
  environment, biotechnology and health
• These types of reporting are quite distinctive
  and cannot be pooled (different types of
  reporters, different political agendas and
  different public perceptions)

2
Media Coverage of Science, Health Environmental
Issues

• Environment reporting
• Study of env reporters in Australia (Janice
  Withnall)
• Who are they? mostly young, underpaid, without
  any science training or future ambition to remain
  in env journalism. Env reporting in Aust. is
  characterised by low scientific content, lack of
  depth, and inaccuracies (few scientists as key
  sources)
• Anecdotal comparison of flood reporting in Aust
  UK in Nov/Dec 2000 (Simon Torok)
• Aust reports Floods due to abnormal weather
  patterns
• UK reports Floods due to climate change
• In both cases influenced by political agenda
  (not scientific agenda)

3
Media Coverage of Science, Health Environmental
Issues

• Biotechnology and biosafety
• Quantitative content analysis of US biotech
  reporting from 1995-99 (Bruce Lewenstein/Matt
  Nisbet)
• Perceptable change in reporting from very
  positive (economic potential etc) to controversy
  ethics.
• Amount of coverage followed announcements or
  discoveries such as Dolly
• Press coverage of Biosafety meeting in Columbia,
  1999 (Lisbeth Fog)
• Overall, coverage was high but full of
  inaccuracies. Reporters were lazy in their choice
  of sources and scientists frequently not quoted
  ín articles.

4
Media Coverage of Science, Health Environmental
Issues

• Biotechnology reporting cont.
• Reporting of GM food debate in NZ (Deborah
  Potter)
• Qualitative look at Newspaper reporting in NZ
  shows that politics figures prominantly in media
  reports. Scientists are frequently not quoted and
  a variety of non-expert sources used (Eg.
  Eco-warrior with green dreadlocks) often the
  same sources time after time.

5
Media Coverage of Science, Health Environmental
Issues

• Reporting of health issues
• Health coverage in Spanish press from 1996-2000
  (Maria Roura-Poch)
• Coverage of health has increased significantly in
  Spanish press. Follows 2 patterns (pointed
  here-today-gone-tomorrow and chronicongoing
  coverage). Scientific sources fare better than
  for env biotech (65 expert sources)
• Coverage of breast cancer in Aust womens
  magazines (Janice Withnall)
• Despite negative impressions in medical circles,
  womens magazines are doing a good job of getting
  accurate breast cancer information to women

6
Media Coverage of Science, Health Environmental
Issues

• Some interesting themes
• Biotech and Env
• scientists frequently not used as sources
• Reporting often follows political agendas rather
  than scientific ones (the Prince Charles
  effect)
• Media reporting triggered by major events (Dolly,
  Kyoto Protol, Hague Climate Talks etc)
• News coverage gets basic message into public
  agenda but theres often no follow up to provide
  context
• Style of coverage reflects cultural as well as
  political perspectives of each country.

7
Media Coverage of Science, Health Environmental
Issues

• Some interesting themes
• Health
• Experts widely consulted
• Accuracy of reporting generally high
• A good deal of ongoing coverage not related to
  announcements or political agenda
• Perhaps percieved as less political???
• Finally...
• Cultural comparisons and global trends would be
  very useful
• PhD anyone?.......