Scientists, Research Institutions May Have Larger Role in Science News Distribution

Journalism has recently had much to lament, with shrinking advertising revenues, newsroom layoffs and buyouts, transformations to online-only formats, and declarations of bankruptcy. Some speculate that internet sources and blogs will become the new source of science news, but a prominent author and blogger on science and science policy told a AAAS audience that blogging, by itself, is not necessarily the answer.

"It's the Wild West out there; I participate in it daily," said Chris Mooney, contributing editor at the blog Science Progress. "But I fail to see how it replaces what's being lost." Discussions on blogs, which can often veer toward inflammatory, are no substitute for "the standards and careful nuances of traditional science journalism, which is dying." Mooney said.

Mooney was among five science writers in a 1 May panel discussion on the future of science journalism at the 34th annual AAAS Science & Technology Policy Forum in Washington, D.C.

For more on the future of science journalism, read the full story.