[When simple meets false: challenges to science journalism].
Science journalists working for public media are caught between the two poles of factual correctness ("Thou shalt not harm") and entertaining presentation ("Thou shalt not bore"). Writing about (in most cases) complex topics they need to stand their ground against the mass media, the consumption of which is--in contrast to science and technology media--inherently voluntary. Within the general framework of the mass media, science journalism has emerged from a "late department" to become an important, but by no means leading part of the press arena. The trend is moving away from interpreting towards critically accompanying science. Due to the strong support to high-quality science journalism that major foundations provided during the past thirty years, the numbers of better trained scientific journalists operating in Germany have considerably increased, but so have the requirements: higher levels of work stress and a higher demand for real-time information, particularly from online media, the risk of economic and other organisations taking control over information by intensifying their public relations campaigns.
haaf@proscience-com.de
Günter
G
Haaf
D035081:Editorial Policies; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005544:Forecasting; D005858:Germany; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D018156:Journalism, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D008402:Mass Media / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics