Scientists and Journalists: Problems of Communication

Andrey Vaganov ()
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Andrey Vaganov: Chief of the Popularization of Science and Technology Group, S. I. Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology of Russian Academy of Sciences (IHST RAS)

Science Governance and Scientometrics Journal, 2016, vol. 11, issue 2, 48-60

Abstract: The paper comes up with a model of communication between scientists and journalists. It shows that each of these social groups has widely different and very specific self identification features. Moreover, these features have been consistently reproduced throughout the entire period of modern European science. This fact allowed to identify as the basic parameters of the proposed model, the following groups of causes that lead to the disruption of communication between the scientific community and journalists: ontological, methodological, technological, psychological. The work provides a detailed analysis of each group. The conclusion is drawn that an engrained methodological implication of the “proper” world order (“Secret Science Society”) is apparently projected on the actually existing structure of society. The awareness of objectivity of the reasons of such self-identity can help in cooperation both to scientists and journalists, as well as to specialists and experts, which form state scientific and technical policy. The article presents periodization of historical forms of popularizing science, developed by the author. It is noted that the popular science genre is a concrete historical phenomenon. It has passed several stages in its development, and continues to evolve. At each development stage the science popularization has quite specific characteristics (attributes), and performs quite certain functions in the society. Allowance for this phenomenon suggests that in contemporary historical situation scientific news is seen by journalists as part of the entertainment business. The purpose of science popularization is to create a story that can intrigue the audience. A scientist’s perception of the “science news” concept is fundamentally different. For him, the news is an educational value. Scientists consider journalists as students. They give lectures and want their posts look like lectures published in media.

Keywords: Scientific community; popularization of science; science journalists; communicative conflict; social identity; hierarchy; Francis Bacon; Karl Popper; Albert Einstein (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:akt:journl:v:11:y:2016:i:2:p:48-60

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