The two cultures: Scientists and Journalists, not an outdated relationship

Authors

  • Hans Peter Peters Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.80.3043

Keywords:

science journalism, scientists, new media, science in society

Abstract

The relationship between scientists and journalists is much better than its image would suggest. Scientists not only believe that public communication is a duty, but also that media visibility is beneficial. Scientific culture differs from that of journalism, which causes partially discrepant expectations; but in most cases these do not preclude satisfying interactions between journalists and scientists. The traditional relationship between science and journalism is challenged by the rise of new online media. These provide opportunities for scientists and scientific organizations to communicate directly with the public via websites, blogs and social networks. Science journalism may be entering a critical period but it is unlikely that it will fall into decline or be replaced by these new science communications media.

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Author Biography

Hans Peter Peters, Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany).

Communication researcher at Forschungszentrum Jülich and professor of Science Journalism. Free University of Berlin (Germany).

References

Allgaier, J.; Dunwoody, S.; Brossard, D.; Lo, Y.-Y. and H. P. Peters, 2013a. «Journalism and Social Media as Means of Observing the Contexts of Science». BioScience, 63: 284-287. DOI: <10.1525/bio.2013.63.4.8>.

Allgaier, J.; Dunwoody, S.; Brossard, D.; Lo, Y.-Y. and H. P. Peters, 2013b. «Medialized Science? Neuroscientists’ Reflections on Their Role as Journalistic Sources». Journalism Practice, 7: 413-429. DOI: <10.1080/17512786.2013.802477>.

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Peters, H. P., 1995. «The Interaction of Journalists and Scientific Experts: Co-operation and Conflict between Two Professional Cultures». Media, Culture & Society, 17: 31-48. DOI: <10.1177/016344395017001003>.

Peters, H. P., 2008. «Erfolgreich trotz Konfliktpotential – Wissenschaftler als Informationsquellen des Journalismus». In Hettwer, M. et al. (eds.). Wissenswelten: Wissenschaftsjournalismus in Theorie und Praxis. Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung. Gütersloh.

Peters, H. P., 2013. «Gap between Science and the Media Revisited: Scientists as Public Communicators». Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110: 14102-14109. DOI: <10.1073/pnas.1212745110>.

Peters, H. P. et al., 2008. «Science Communication: Interactions with the Mass Media». Science, 321: 204-205. DOI: <10.1126/science.1157780>.

Weingart, P., 2001. Die Stunde der Wahrheit? Zum Verhältnis der Wissenschaft zu Politik, Wirtschaft und Medien in der Wissensgesellschaft. Velbrück Wissenschaft. Weilerswist.

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Published

2014-06-01

How to Cite

Peters, H. P. (2014). The two cultures: Scientists and Journalists, not an outdated relationship. Metode Science Studies Journal, (4), 163–169. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.80.3043
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Issue

The spirit of science (2014)

Section

The science of the press: Trends and challenges for popular science journalism

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