1. SCIENCE WRITING IN MASS MEDIA:
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Invited Lecture
DST sponsored Workshop on
Science writing for Mass Media
Dept. Mass Communication & Journalism
Mangalore University
20—22 March 2014
Jayakara Bhandary M.
Associate Professor & Head
Dept. of Botany, GFGC, Karwar
mbjaikar@gmail.com
2. How many Earths? our beloved Milky Way may host
billions of stars with Earth-like planets.
7. The invisibility Cloak of Harry Potter turning a reality..?
Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/top-10-
scientific-discoveries-of-2013.htm
8. • Science inseparable part of modern
life
• modern Society is S & T driven.
• Science Literacy/awareness
essential
– Informed choices
– Distinguish risks & benefits
– Public Debate
– Policy Making
Impact of science & technology
11. Science Communication?
• public media presenting science related topics to non-
scientists and non-scientific communities.
• processes by which the scientific culture and its
knowledge are incorporated into the common culture
• the practice of producing and negotiating meanings, a
practice which always takes place under specific social,
cultural and political conditions.
• It involves use of appropriate skills, media, activities,
and dialogue to produce one or more of the following
personal responses to science: Awareness, enjoyment,
interests, opinion forming, and understating
12. Purpose
• Awareness, including familiarity with new
aspects of science
• Enjoyment or other affective responses, e.g.
appreciating science as entertainment or art.
• Interest, as evidenced by voluntary involvement
with science or its communication.
• Opinions, the forming, reforming, or confirming
of science-related attitudes.
• Understanding of science, its content, process,
and social factors, etc.
13. WHY KNOW SCIENCE?
• Knowing the facts and principle of Science and its
applications – cognitive development
• Understanding science as a social enterprise-
History and development
• Relating to environment – natural, artifacts and
people
• Cultivating Scientific Temper – objectivity, critical
thinking, freedom from fear and prejudice
• Concern and care for HUMANITY and
ENVIRONMENT
15. PUBLIC SOURCE OF SCIENCE INFO..
• Public understanding and perception of S&T
issues are mainly shaped by their depiction in
mass media
– Print
– Electronic
SCIENCE WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA is
ESSENTIAL
CRITICAL
RESPONSIBLE
22. TRAINING / NETWORKING
• Researchers to write simple
science
• Journalists – No science
background
• Journalism College/Departments
–Specialisation /Short term
Courses
in Science Journalism
Science Writing to Researchers
28. INFO. SOURCES
• Journals in-accessible to writers
• Labs/Institutes – no sharing
• Newsletters/In house Publications
• Online Repositories
• Email alerts
• Free Online journals
37. NEUTRAL WRITING
• Phrasing
• Clarify, Don’t confuse
• Too far fetched
conclusions
• Lobbying..
Society is generally science – phobic,
suspicious ?!
38. THINK LOCAL..
Local languages, issues,
examples, context
• translation of Western
Science/Research
• Local Relevance?
• Local actions, Innovations
• Translation – Technical Words?
42. GOING BEYOND SCIENCE..
• Mere Description of Science Facts/events -
little use to Society
• Weighing Benefits vs Risks
• Analysis of Socio-economical implications,
ethical impacts are important.