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A 2006 presentation by Vetenskap & Allmänhet (Public & Science) summarising the results of a number of VA's surveys on science in the press and how journalists view science.
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Vetenskap & AllmänhetHow Journalists view Science
Science in the PressVA-reports 2005:5 and 2005:6
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Facts about the two studies
550 telephone interviews, conducted in Sweden 26 Aug – 15 Sept 2005
Interview groups:
- Journalists (all media, all areas)
- Science journalists
- Journalism students
Focus:
• Attitudes to science and scientists
• Contacts with researchers
• Access to scientific information
• The journalists’ ”wish list”
Analysis of scientific content in a selection of Swedish youth and family magazines and regional newspapers. 8600 pages in total (articles + ads).
11
22
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8% 43%
40%
56%
78%
5% 35%
48%
19%
6%
7%
4%
15%
15% 4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Swedish public
Journalists
Swedish public
Journalists
Very great trust Great trust Don't know Little trust Very little trust No trust at all
Journalists trust researchers
… companies?
… universities?
Q: How much trust do you have in researchers at…
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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a.se42%
28%
6%
42%
44%
18%
38%
10%
13%
44%
26%
3%
8%
35%
28%
4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Researchers 2003
Swedish public 2005
Researchers 2003
Swedish public 2003
Very great trust Great trust Don't know Little trust Very little trust No trust at all
Researchers have less trust in journalists
… quality daily newspapers?
… tabloids?
Q: How much trust do you have in journalists working for…
Source: VA-report 2003:4, 2005:4
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7%
5%
6%
80%
69%
71%
47%
34%
40%
12%
24%
18%
11%
28%
18%
15%
18%
18%
21%
15%
20%
6%
4%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Journalism students
Science journalists
Journalists
Journalism students
Science journalists
Journalists
Very great trust Great trust Little trust
Don't know Very little trust No trust at all
Journalists don’t trust “blogs”
… ”blogs”?
… news
bureaus?
Q: How much trust do you have in information from…
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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88%
69%
60%
85%
66%
70%
89%
55%
57%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
… developing a new
vaccine against
HIV/AIDS
… slowing down
climate changes
… increasing
economic growth in
Sweden
Journalists
Science journalists
Swedish public
Journalists have a high level of confidence in the
potential of science
Q: Do you believe that within ten years research has the potential to contribute to…
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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37%
37%
35%
46%
45%
43%
12%
11%
12% 10%
7%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Swedish public
Science journalists
Journalists
Much better Somewhat better Neither better nor worse
Somewhat worse Much worse Don't know
Q: Do you think that scientific developments over the last 10 to 20 years
have made life better or worse for ordinary people?
Positive attitude to scientific development
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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42%
47%
43%
43%
36%
37%
9%
11%
12%
4%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Swedish public
Science journalists
Journalists
Much better Somewhat better Neither better nor worse
Somewhat worse Much worse Don't know
Q: Do you think that technological developments over the last 10 to 20
years have made life better or worse for ordinary people?
Positive attitude to technological development
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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17%
3%
23%
9%
17%
16%
30%
30%
19%
32%
28%
56%
62%
43%8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Swedish public
Researchers
Science journalists
Journalists
Completely agree Largely agree Somewhat agree Don't know Disagree
Are Science & Technology too difficult?
Q: “Science and technology are too hard for most people to understand”
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4, 2003:4
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11% 17%
12%
6%
34%
43%
38%
36%
37%
29%
30%
48%
43%
51%
9%
11%
4%
4%
7%
8% 4%
11%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Swedish public
School teachers
Researchers
Journalists
Science Journalists
Completely agree Largely agree Somewhat agree Disagree Don't know
Journalists have high confidence in researchers
Q: “Researchers seem to try new things without paying enough attention to
possible risks”
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4, 2004:4
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26%
13%
6%
20%
15%
11%
10%
23%
26%
17%
19%
13%
28%
43%
60%
62%
80%
10%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Swedish public
Teachers
Researchers
Journalists
Science Journalists
Completely agree Largely agree Somewhat agree Don't know Disagree
Researchers should not only do “useful” research
Q: “Researchers should only perform research that may lead to useful results”
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4, 2004:4
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33%
39%
67%
48%
27%
25%
16%
25%
25%
26%
8%
18%
13%
9%
7%
7%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Swedish public
Journalism students
Science journalists
Journalists
Completely agree Largely agree Somewhat agree Don't know Disagree
Research is important, even if it does not bring
immediately useful results
Q: “It is important to spend money on research, even if it is not intended to
bring immediately useful results”
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Journalists Science
journalists
Journalism
students
Read scientific journals or
popular science magazines
Ask a researcher
Search the Internet
Use the on-line service
"Expertsvar"
Search media archives
Other way
Journalists often use the internet as a resource
Q: Where do you get information about science and research?
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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38%
29%
43%
39%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Swedish public
Journalism
students
Science
journalists
Journalists
Visits to science & technology museums
Q: Do you regularly visit museums or exhibitions on science or technology?
(Yes)
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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63%
90%
66%
27%
58%
17%
34%
4%
32%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Journalists Science journalists Journalism students
Researchers at Universities Researchers at companies No contacts
Journalists are often in contact with researchers
Q: Do you, during an average working month, have contact with any of the following?
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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51%
72%
56%55%
38%
52%44% 46% 44%
11% 9% 11%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Journalists Science Journalists Journalism students
Natural sciences / technology Social Sciences
Medical science / health Other subject
These contacts are within all disciplines
Q: What scientific areas do you have research contacts in?
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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53%
66%
30%
89%93%
96%
33%36%40%
11%9%15%
0%
61%
82%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Journalists Science journalists Journalism students
Meet personally Phone E-mail Press conf. or similar Courses for professionals
Most contact takes place over the phone
Q: How do you normally get in contact with researchers?
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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Journalists have good experiences from their
research contacts
Q: What are your experiences from contacts with researchers?
(open question)
– Mainly very positive / good
– Friendly / nice / helpful / cooperative
– Mixed experiences
– Little knowledge of how the media works
– Not good at using understandable language
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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Comprehensible, accessible information wanted!
Q: In your opinion, is there anything that researchers and research
communicators could do which would be useful to you in your work
as a journalist? (open question)
– Accessible information
– Easily reachable researchers
– Knowledge of how journalists work
– Website/database with all researchers
– Use comprehensible language!
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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36%
59%
35%
45%
14%
83%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Publish at once Wait
Journalists
Science journalists
Swedish public
Q: Do you think that research results that might be important for people’s health
should be published at once, even if only based on a single investigation,
or
is it better to wait until additional investigations have confirmed the results?
Rapid publication important for many journalists
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4, 2004:4
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65%
32%
55%
39%
65%
31%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
YES NO
Journalists Science Journalists Swedish public
Q: Research results that might be important for people’s health are sometimes
published before they are confirmed or countered by other studies in order to
warn people about risks associated with habits and lifestyles. Do you think there
are too many so-called alarmist reports published?
Too many alarmist reports
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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Obstacles for satisfactory science reporting
Q: In your opinion, what obstacles are there within the media today
to satisfactory reporting of science and research? (open)
1. Lack of knowledge
2. Lack of time, editorial space, and resources
3. Lack of interest in science (in media)
4. Bad communication with researchers
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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74%
70%
27%
21%
4%
21%
27%
29%
33%
31%
30%
11%
7%
11%
12%
22%
13%
4%
62%
73%
4%
4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Chemistry
Medicine
Philosophy
Macroeconomics
Parapsychology
Astrology
5. Most scientific 4. 3. 2. 1. Not at all Don't know
Chemistry most scientific – say journalists
Q: To what extent do you regard the following fields as scientific?
(All journalists)
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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To what extent do you regard the following
fields as scientific?(Percentage answering “highly scientific”)
74% 70%
27%21%
4% 1%8% 4%
21%15%
71%
45%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Che
mis
try
Med
icin
e
Phi
loso
phy
Eco
nom
ics
Ast
rolo
gyPar
apsy
chol
ogy
Journalists Swedish public
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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45%
75%
83%
71%
27%
19%
13%
23%
6%
4%
20%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Swedish public
Journalism students
Science journalists
Journalists
5. Highly scientific 4. 3. 2. 1. Not at all scientific Don't know
Chemistry
Q: To what extent do you regard chemistry as scientific?
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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15%
23%
43%
27%
21%
34%
27%
27%
40%
30%
24%
31%
15%
12%
7%
12%
5%4%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Swedish public
Journalism students
Science journalists
Journalists
5. Highly scientific 4 3. 2. 1. Not at all scientific Don't know
Philosophy
Q: To what extent do you regard philosophy as scientific?
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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21%
23%
20%
28%
20%
33%
37%
41%
21%
32%
29%
31%
28%
36%
31%
10%
6%
9%
9%
12%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Swedish public
Teachers
Journalism students
Science journalists
Journalists
5. Highly scientific 4 3. 2. 1. Not at all scientific Don't know
Macroeconomics
Q: To what extent do you regard macroeconomics as scientific?
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4, 2004:4
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5% 9%
9%
5%
22%
23%
17%
6%
10%
30%
24%
21%
26%
21%
32%
38%
55%
67%
63%
4%
4%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Swedish public
Teachers
Journalism students
Science journalists
Journalists
5. Highly scientific 4. 3. 2. 1. Not at all Don't know
Parapsychology
Q: To what extent do you regard parapsychology as scientific?
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4, 2004:4
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4% 9%
9%
11%
23%
7%
19%
22%
26%
13%
25%
62%
37%
73%
37%8%
4%
4%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Journalists
Swedish public
Journalists
Swedish public
5. Highly scientific 4. 3. 2. 1. Not at all scientific
Journalists don’t believe in star-signs and mind-reading
Astrology
Parapsychology
Q: To what extent do you regard the following fields as scientific?
Sources: VA-report 2005:6, 2005:4
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Conclusions
Journalists...
• … have a high level of confidence in researchers
• … would like researchers to be more accessible and understandable
• … want to find comprehensible information easily
Researchers...
• … don’t trust journalists
• … don’t always understand journalists / the media?
� Journalists and researchers need a better
understanding of each others’ perspectives and
methods of working
Source: VA-report 2005:6
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How much science is actually written about?
9%
7%
2%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
Youth magazines Family magazines Regional
newspapers
Note:
Percentage of all 6100
article pages analysed
Percentage of science-related articles in material analysed
Source: VA-report 2005:5
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8 8
16
5 4
9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Youth
magazines
Family
magazines
Regional
newspapers
Number of
persons
Women
Men
How often are researchers quoted?
Source: VA-report 2005:5
8600 pages
analysed
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What subjects are written about?
14%
3%
53%
12%
42%
4%
13%
14%
31%
41%
3%
0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Medicine
Social sciences
Psychology
Pseudo science
Youth magazines Family magazines Regional newspapers
Source: VA-report 2005:5
Percentage of all 6100
article pages analysed
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How well is scientific material referenced?
Percentage of articles with no reference given in the article
9%
25%25%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Youth
magazines
Family
magazines
Regional
newspapers
Source: VA-report 2005:5
Note:
Articles with (claimed)
scientific content only.
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All reports can be downloaded from our
website: www.v-a.se
Results from the following reports were included in this presentation:
2003:4 – How researchers view public and science (available in English)
2004:4 – How teachers view science (available in English)
2005:4 – How the Swedish public view science 2005 (in Swedish only )
2005:5 – How journalists view science (English summary available)
2006:6 – Science in press (English summary available)
