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Issues in the public understanding of science are discussed from this practical standpoint of communication. This module is time intensive and requires substantial group work.
Science Journalism
A practical course in communicating science based around three key tasks: (1) writing science news and feature articles suitable for New Scientist or the science pages of the ‘quality’ press; (2) carrying out a radio interview, such as might be broadcast on Radio 4’s Science Now; (3) reporting on a piece of novel science to a committee of MPs who need to be aware both of the science content of the work and potential policy issues.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the module, students should:
- know how to structure a piece of communication to achieve their aim;
- be able to write short informative texts, for blogs or more traditional news outlets;
- have a sense of what it takes to find good science news story;
- be aware of different ways of communicating scientific idea;
- be able to communicate scientific ideas through different media, using sound, image, or objects, as well as the written word;
- be familiar with the basic principles of interviewing;
- have planned and conducted a reportage;
- be able to coordinate different sources to write a feature piece;
- be aware of sociological issues pertaining to the communication of scientific knowledge.
Course Syllabus:
