In a news article in the Washington Post, Chris Mooney (co-author of "Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future") points out that scientists need training in dealing with the mass media and in getting their messages about scientific issues out to the public is an accessible style. Climategate and other recent problems have made the general public (at least in the U.S.) more suspicious about science. For example, quoting from the article:
|In the ensuing "Climategate" scandal, scientists were accused of |withholding information, suppressing dissent, manipulating data |and more. But while the controversy has receded, it may have |done lasting damage to science's reputation: Last month, |a Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 40 percent of |Americans distrust what scientists say about the environment, |a considerable increase from April 2007. Meanwhile, public |belief in the science of global warming is in decline. What is the problem that may need to be overcome? Consider the following quote: |Scientific training continues to turn out researchers who speak |in careful nuances and with many caveats, in a language aimed |at their peers, not at the media or the public. Many scientists |can scarcely contemplate framing a simple media message for |maximum impact; the very idea sounds unbecoming. And many |of them don't trust the public or the press: According to |a recent Pew study, 85 percent of U.S. scientists say it's a "major |problem" that the public doesn't know much about science, and |76 percent say the same about what they see as the media's inability |to distinguish between well-supported science and less-than-scientific |claims. Rather than spurring greater efforts at communication, |such mistrust and resignation have further motivated some scientists |to avoid talking to reporters and going on television. For the complete article, see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123101155_pf.html -Mike Palij New York University m...@nyu.edu --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
