Who let the gene genie out of the box?

When a science journalist sits down to write an article, the last thing they have in mind is that an academic somewhere will use the piece as in a research project. But that is just what Rebecca Carver did in her doctoral work on "Genes in the media" at the Institute for Basic Medical Sciences (IMB) at the University of Oslo.

Not content with writing her PhD and a journal paper, Dr Carver has colluded in the creation of a press release on her work Oslo-scientists have found the media gene. In this we read:

“We chose to analyse the national newspapers Aftenposten, VG and Dagbladet from Norway; The Guardian, The Daily Mail and The Sun from the UK,” Carver explains. “We randomly selected a total of 300 articles, including commentaries, features, news stories and news briefs that referred to the gene concept in various ways.”

There then follows a detailed description of different uses of the "gene" thingy in these media. You will have to read the paper in "the important international journal EMBO Reports, issued for the European Molecular Biology Organization" for the full details.

Carver's key message seems to be that "journalists and editors, striving for a catchy news story, often convert a relativistic message into a deterministic one". Guess what, it all comes down to the "titles and bylines". As Carver pouts it "we have found that the titles and bylines are often deterministic whilst the relativistic and evolutionary frames tend to be present further into the article".

Carver, who has also has a "Master degree in Science Communication from Imperial College London," wants to hear from science reporters. As Carver and Jarle Breivik, her supervisor, put it, “We hope our work will increase awareness of how we communicate the gene concept, and would like to come into contact with both scientists and journalists.”

Honourable mentions

The arrival of the Queens Birthday Honours List always provides a few minutes entertainment. This year's set of gonged individuals is no exception.

A quick search on "science" throws up a bunch of names that will be familiar to at least some ABSW members:

• Jim Al-Khalili, well known media physicists and Professor of Physics and Professor of Public Engagement in Science, University of Surrey. "For services to Physics."
  
• Frances Rosemary (or Fran as she is also known) Balkwill, who has won more than her fair share of awards for the books that started off as an attempt to explain science to her kids, Professor of Cancer Biology, Queen Mary, University of London. "For services to Science Communication to Children".
  
• Sheila Scott Anderson-Witty, who used to run communications at the Natural Environment Research Council. "For services to Science."
  

The list is a bit thin on media folks this year, unless you count tabloids and fashion mags.

Yet another minister fingers the media

It is that time of the year again, the Glyndebourne Festival is underway and the Public Engagement in Science and Technology (PEST) season has started. In the same week when the first Glyndebourne production opened to mixed reviews, we had the annual bash masterminded the BA, the PEST practitioner par excellence. As yet there have been few reviews of this gig.

Such is the stature of the subject these days that the BA can even drag a government minister along to mutter some fine words at its Science Communication Conference. In this case, the speaker was Ian Pearson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation.

In his speech at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Pearson posed a number of questions in his conclusions. The one most relevant to members of the ABSW was "how can the media provide more accurate and balanced information that helps to improve scientific literacy?"

It seems that there will be yet another consultation paper with words on public engagement. You have been warned.

Has the US lost faith in science?

Those of us of an older generation have always looked at the USA when wanting to see how slavish acceptance of science and everything that it delivers plays out. Now, it seems, those days may be over.

Rick Borchelt director of communications at the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University, and an old lag in the science communications caper, has, along with Kathy Hudson director of the place, come up with Engaging the Scientific Community With the Public. To pluck one paragraph out of their story:

In a nutshell, an erosion of public trust that began as a trickle of doubt about radiation safety and pesticides has grown to program-threatening uprisings against emerging new technologies, from genetically altered “Frankenfoods” to concern over “grey goo” in nanotechnology.

Apart from that, nothing new here really. But that may not be surprising, given that the UK first put the wheels on the bandwagon that has become the Public Understanding of Science (PUS) (now Public Engagement in Science and Technology).

Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal

Many science writers have covered astronomy at some stage in their careers. Now there is a journal all about the subject, communicating astronomy that is, not astronomy, which has more than its fair share of the scientific literature.

The second issue of Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal has just hit the web. The journal appears under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The European Space Agency's Hubble Space Telescope group has sponsored the print costs for the first few issues. The people behind the venture "are currently fund-raising for the longer term".

In his note about the contents of the latest issue, number 2, Pedro Russo, Editor-in-Chief of the CAPjournal, says:

"In this issue we marvel at the breathtaking images taken by astrophotographers from The"World at Night project", get insider tips from authors of two popular astronomy vodcasts, learn how to navigate the labyrinth of European Commission grants for education/outreach and much more. We'd like to welcome Ryan Wyatt as the author of our first regular column, "Visualising Astronomy". Ryan will give us his opinions and perspectives about the growing field of graphical science communication."

The web site has PDF files of the first two issues, with more details of the venture and an RSS feed. There is also a section of the site for job openings.

Professing science communication

There is a note on Framing Science about a new post in science communication. Headed "Professorship in Science Communication at Free University-Berlin" it says:

"The Free University Berlin has an associate professor opening in Science Communication, as part of their Department of Political and Social Sciences and their Institute of Media and Communication Studies."

Do Europeans enjoy science programmes?

The European Commission wants to analyse "public perception of science programmes on European TV and radio stations". It has put out a call for project proposals aimed at "gathering data and providing an analysis on how European citizens perceive the science and research programmes offered to them on TV and radio".

The results of the project could interest those who make these programmes. As the announcement puts it "This call will fund research investigating the ways the general public in Europe perceives, enjoys or dislikes current audiovisual science programmes. Findings will be broken down according to subjects' nationality and socio-economical background, as well as their expectations in this area."

You have until 23 May to put in your bid.

Creative Science Communication

An event in April "will explore ways to be creative in science communication without misrepresenting the science".

Creative Science Communication "Closely linked to the Edinburgh International Science Festival, the seminar combines workshops, practical exercises, interactive sessions and talks with highlights from the Festival programme to cover the whole spectrum of ways in which science can be made more engaging and involving, and scientists and journalists can improve how they understand and utilise each other."

tag: events, PEST