SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Nine Ways Scientists Demonstrate They Don't Understand Journalism
from the Guardian (UK)
Have you heard of Futurity? How about The Conversation? In different ways, these sites and others are bypassing the traditional media model--cutting out the journalist middleman and letting researchers speak more directly to the public. In the case of Futurity, which is backed by a growing number of research-intensive universities, university press officers act as mediators with the site posting more-or-less edited "stories" (press releases) that are uncontaminated by any sordid contact with the grubby mitts of the reporting classes.
The Conversation, based in Melbourne, is a more interesting hybrid with hacks drafted in to commission and edit contributions from academics.
There's nothing wrong with these sites. As a critical friend of science, I regard anything that improves informed public debate about research to be a good thing. But if you browse them a little while you can't help but notice that they're, well, a little bit dull.
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