UK Minister praises standards of health and science journalism

Posted by Christie Silk on July 3, 2009 at 4:39 PM

Despite widespread allegations of fear-mongering tendencies in British science and health journalism, the minister of science and innovation, Lord Drayson, has praised the high standard of reporting in this field.

The reporting of public health issues by mainstream publications has come under heavy criticism for its inflammatory tone and exaggerated content. The recent coverage of the swine flu outbreak, a pertinent example, has been interpreted as unnecessarily alarming. Yet, speaking at the World Conference of Science Journalists in London yesterday, Drayson came out in defence of the work of science and health reporters. He rejected claims that the reporting of stories such as swine flu amounted to no more than hysterical headlines, but rather, it provides an essential public service. Journalistic coverage of disease and health risks helps people make educated decisions by bridging a gap between science and the public, Drayson argued.

"Where science correspondents are centre stage and when they have access to scientists, then science coverage in Britain is of a very high standard" Drayson said.

The ability of the press to learn and improve from its previous mistakes was implied at the conference. This came primarily from another speaker, John Martin, a leading expert on heart disease who has previously compared Britain's science journalists "to the greedy bankers who sparked the economic meltdown", as Press Gazette reminds. Yet, Martin remarked at the conference that the press had raised it standards from that of earlier coverage of sensitive issues such as the GM debate and the MMR vaccine. Indeed, he praised the swine flu coverage as balanced and informative.

The issues raised at the conference are suggestive of the importance of factual knowledge, reliable sources and responsible reporting in health and science coverage. This corresponds moreover, with the topical debate in the industry over the value of specialised journalism.

Source: Press Gazette