October 1, 2016
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmThe Truth Brokers: How Science Gets Filtered
Knowledge is forged in the laboratory, but before it reaches the people, it passes through mediators—the government, the media and the scientific establishment—each with its own agenda.
By The Editors
On supporting science journalism
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In this special report, we expose an insidious practice of manipultion of news in the U.S. government and elsewhere; a culture of silence that discourages scientists from speaking out about their work; and the disconnect between what scientists do and what the public hears about.
Federal agencies in the U.S. are using so-called close-hold embargoes and other methods to gain control of the journalists who cover them [see “How to Spin the Science News”].
A comparison of data on the institutions that produce the most high-quality scientific research with the studies that get the most press reveals a big gap [see “What Science Is Buzzworthy?”].
Scientists have long faced institutional pressures that discourage them from speaking out directly to the public. That may be starting to change [see “The Plight of the Celebrity Scientist”].
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