From Inception to Infection: Comparing scientific literature on the discovery of a disease to

its news article counterpart

Nature is a journal among journals in the scientific world. Only accepting articles detailing specific scientific discoveries or unique takes on a topic this journal has a reputation for reporting some of the most significant work in the life sciences. Structured to be impactful yet concise the journal maintains strict limits on text density and article length, creating a comprehensive design that almost makes it a read manageable to non-experts. AudienceThough a very concise paper Nature is still written to an audience of life science experts and researchers. The text heavy and technical layout of each article is very functional and does very little to intentionally attract an audience. In other words, the reputation and purpose of the journal itself is what drives its audience to seek out each piece of literature and read it.

Nature: Scientific literature and

the “inception” of news

BBC (British Broadcasting Channel) news is a radio show turned international television program that began in the 1920s and now hosts a spot on televisions worldwide informing, educating, and entertaining through various shows, films, and news programs. They are built on a reputation of impartial and independent news and divulge reports from more places in the world than almost any other show of its kind. Because of this foundation their science articles very much preserve the original data found in the journal articles they cite and often link to. AudienceBBC attracts a global audience of all shapes and sizes, but its science news is specifically geared towards people who already have an interest in and knowledge of the sciences. Their articles stay true to the original science they cite from, making them more appealing to people already familiar with the field being written about.

The BBC“Infection”:

popularizing science with applications and

visual media

General overview: When scientific literature is published in a public news format, aspects are conserved, discarded,

and others are added. Here it begins with an article from Nature linking a fungus to a disease afflicting bats in North America and how the BBC took this information and organized it in the context of a

news piece.

Nature:Format1. High density text with multiple

columns per page2. Citations utilized to give credit

for any work not original to this piece

3. Full reference page4. Highly uniform format with

headings for methods, results, discussion, etc.

Visual5. Diagrams and graphs are

utilized to support data mentioned in the literature

Purpose• To inform and publicize a

scientific discovery BBC:Format1. Low density text with

headings and spaced paragraphs

2. Hyperlinks lead to sources and related stories

3. List of links at the bottom but no uniformity in citation or specific purpose

Visual4. Visual media such as pictures

of bats and video of an expedition

5. Interview statements and expert opinions introduce implications of disease

Purpose• Focus on discovery in relation

to the impact on bats and how people can participate (prevent the spread of disease)

• To educate audience about a discovery concerning a bat pandemic and its implications

Together:• Blog links and comment boxes

allow for audience participation

• Utilization of experts in the article either as authors, citations, or interviewees

• Both titles share the main idea of a disease being linked to a fungus

• Any outside sources are noted in some respect

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Sources:•http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15460894•http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html•http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2009/06/04/69470/deadly-bat-disease-spreading-fast.html•http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305102709.htm