Admission requirements
Not applicable
Description
Climate change and global worming. Genetically modified foods. Pandemics. Obesity. Mental disorders and learning disabilities. Science issues of global proportions affect our lives as citizens of this planet. Journalists may help us make sense of these issues, enabling us to make informed decisions about policy and our personal lives. This course looks at the science–media–society nexus, focusing on news media in general – and the science reporter in particular – as an intermediary between science and society.
The course will bring critical sociological and rhetorical perspectives to bear on current developments and controversies in this field. How news media, policymakers, scientists, and citizens deal with truth, risk, and uncertainty will be a major issue; here, we zoom in on the science journalist and take on their perspective to face the abovementioned issues. Special emphasis will be put on the challenges to traditional scienctific expertise and authority posed by the internet and social media.
Course objectives
After completion of this course, students will have gained knowledge of:
The goals, affordances and problems science journalism faces and how that makes it different from other journalistic disciplines;
The main features of a science journalism interview, as well as completing a publication;
The main (re)search techniques and websites relevant to science journalists;
Some themes from recent international research literature in the field of science journalism.
Students will learn the skills to:
Reflect independently on the merits of science journalism productions;
Discuss their views on academic research and news media in class;
Produce societally relevant science journalistic productions independently and/or in a team;
Provide a text for publication;
Use the main (re)search techniques and websites relevant to science journalists;
Apply findings from research literature to (own academic/journalistic) practice.
Timetable
The timetables are available through MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Written examination with essay questions: e.g. from press release to article, scientific-factchecking etc. (access to the web during the exam)
Active Participation/coöperation in class/group
Essay, paper: Long-form interview with a scientist (portrait of the person + scientific news value) aimed at a large interested general audience
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by (i) determination of the weighted average combined with (ii) additional requirements. Students must pass both the interview assignment and the final exam.
Resit
In case a student fails the final exam or the interview assignment, or both, they can take part in a resit. In that case, dates and deadlines will be arranged with the teacher.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Reading materials will be announced through Brightspace. All reading will be chosen from literature freely available on the web.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Not applicable.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal.
Remarks
Not applicable