Science influences many different areas our our lives- even ones that seem quite removed. Last week we talked with Sheril Kirshenbaum about how science interacts with politics. This week we’re talking about science and the media.

How often do we actually hear about science in the news? Are these stories accurate? And who is telling these stories? Sheril talks with us about how science gets from the lab to the newspaper or the TV screen and how we can keep the stories we read in perspective and how we can help tell better science stories.

Memorable Quotes

“For every five hours of cable news, we’re lucky if we see one minute devoted to science and technology, and most often that one minute is about our health and diet.”

“There are evermore opportunities for people with science experience to move into those spaces [news, films, social media] and tell better stories.”

“Finding things that you have in common with the person, building a relationship over time, giving them some real reason to take time and think about where you’re coming from, ultimately builds to this place where they might take you more seriously.”

“Getting the science right tells a more compelling story.”

Resources

Here are links to Sheril’s personal website and Science Debate. For the next series of elections, keep checking Science Debate’s website for candidate’s answers to their science policy questions. If you are interested in learning more about why science literacy is important, check our her book, Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future. Sheril can also be found hosting MSU’s “Our Table” and NPR’s “Serving Up Science.”

Just a couple of the resources for scientists who want to share better stories can be found at AAAS and the Union of Concerned Scientists.