When Science Hits the Headlines

Have you ever read a science story in the paper and thought – is that right? Have you ever wanted to know how it got there? This event will give you an insight into how scientific research becomes news. Why do some stories make the front page while others stay within academic circles?

And what’s going on with all these health scares in the papers? Are the press hyping up the dangers for the sake of profit? Or is it that scientists can’t communicate their work properly? Perhaps it’s a reflection of the public’s genuine anxieties.

Explore the tensions between scientists, journalists and the public with a panel of top-notch experts...

Tom Clarke is currently the Science Correspondent with Channel 4 News and will facilitate the discussion. He’s been both a scientist and a broadcast journalist, so he’s perfectly placed to guide us through this fascinating event.

John Perry is a journalist with the Sun. He has co-written Giant Leaps, a book explaining the great moments in science in the style of Sun headlines. As part of the editorial team at the newspaper he has an invaluable insight into why science sometimes gets short shrift from the press. But what does he think scientists can do to make themselves more media friendly?

David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey has had both good and bad experiences with the press. He’ll share all with the audience, giving a scientist’s point of view.

Nancy Mendoza is a press officer at the Science Media Centre, an organisation that aims to bring together scientists and journalists when science hits the headlines. She believes that the more journalists talk to well-respected scientists, the more they’ll know about how science works and the better reported science will be. And vice versa: the better scientists are at talking to journalists, the less sensationalism and bad reporting there will be.

Felicity Mellor, from Imperial College’s Science Communication group, thinks journalists should have a more sceptical and investigative attitude towards science. She says that all too often journalists accept what scientists’ press offices tell them without thinking more deeply. Find out why she disagrees with Nancy Mendoza’s view that more communication will change how science is reported. And discover why she thinks scientists shouldn’t always be happy with what’s written about them.

Event organised by:
The Science Museum

Speakers

Felicity Mellor, Science Communication Group, Imperial
Nancy Mendoza, Press officer, Science Media Centre
John Perry, journalist, The Sun
David Vaughan, Principal Investigator, British Antarctic Survey

Facilitator
Tom Clarke, Science correspondent Channel 4 News