Science in the Media: Rude or Ailing Health?

If anyone’s in London or thereabouts on the 31st of March, come and see me and a few other science journalists discuss the state of science in the media at City University. The discussion follows a recent government report, entitled Science in the Media: Securing the Future. The report declared that science coverage (in the UK, at least) was in “rude health”, while is somewhat different to the picture that others have painted.

I’ll be discussing the report as well as, presumably, other matters about science journalism along with a panel of veteran UK journalists. I assume that I have been recruited as the voice of youthful dissent and indeed, those of you who were at my panel at ScienceOnline may remember me reading out a passage from this same report to the sound of laughter from the crowd.

Personally, I think the report has a lot of good things to say, but it’s missing any substantial discussion about the new ecosystem of online science journalism and the changing nature of those who can legitimately call themselves science journalists. But enough for now – come along and join the discussion. It should be a good one.

The official description is below and you need to reserve a place.

I’d also like to encourage people who attend to tweet it. Perhaps #scimedia as a hashtag. 

• Date: Wednesday 31 March 2010
• Time: 6.30pm
• Location: City University London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB

A recent government report on science in the media declared that it was in “rude health”, while other commentators think that it is ailing and in crisis.

Join the debate with a panel of leading science journalists including:

• Pallab Ghosh (BBC)
• Natasha Loder (Economist)
• Andrew Jack (Financial Times)
• Ed Yong (Not Exactly Rocket Science blog)
• Fiona Fox (Science Media Centre and author of the report)