ABSW: Science journalism in crisis? BIS expert group seeks our input

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has announced an 'expert group' to look at the state of science and the media in the UK. Your input is sought for an ABSW submission to the panel.

The Science and the Media Expert Group, set up by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and chaired by Fiona Fox of the Science Media Centre, has prompted some lively discussion on the ABSW-L.

Sceptics have pointed out a number of limitations with the make-up of the group, its methods and its ultimate goals. As one of those sceptics, I have been asked to put together a ‘robust’ statement on behalf of the ABSW on the state of science journalism and what we can do to enhance it.

The ABSW represents a wide range of science writers, broadcasters and communicators and our members include many (if not most) of the UK’s best science journalists. Although I have my own views on the state of science journalism, and what might be done to improve things, they do not necessarily represent the wider views of the membership.

I am therefore after the views of you, the ABSW members. I am particularly keen to hear from journalists and those with experience of science news, newsrooms and how science is reported.

Please e-mail your contributions by the middle of September so I can put the statement together. The final submission will go to the ABSW Executive Committee for approval before it is submitted to the BIS group. I will also post updates in TSR.

I hope that we will have a wide range of thoughts, views and comments so that I can include as many different points of view as possible and, together, we can put forward the ‘robust’ case that the ‘expert’ group claims to be after.

Richard Hollingham
TSR Features Editor