BENCHPRESS PROJECT
SUGGESTED SCIENCE SYLLABUS
This document was prepared for the BenchPress project. It is not intended to be a prescriptive
statement on what journalism students ought to know about science, rather, it is a guide to what
those visiting media colleges might like to cover.
Why good science reporting matters
Strong science reporting is critical to the public’s understanding of the world around them
and to their ability to make informed choices about the foods they eat, technologies they
use and medicines they take. In the past, poor quality reporting has had serious negative
consequences, such as the drop in MMR vaccinations following scare stories linking the jab
to autism.
How science works
It’s important that journalists have a basic understanding of how research is carried out and
published, the scientific method (observe, hypothesise, test), etc.
Scientific publishing
A look at the pressures and perils of scientific publishing. What peer review is and why it is
an important quality assurance. Also replication, and the need to see a single paper against
the backdrop of existing evidence.
Dispelling common misconceptions about science
Common tropes and why they are untrue, e.g. that science advances by big breakthroughs,
or that scientists are always authoritative sources.
How to read a scientific paper on a deadline
Journalists are far more likely to see a press release than the actual research. It’s important
they know how to access a scientific paper and find key information within it.
Assessing scientific evidence
The weight of scientific findings is based on the quality of the evidence. Discuss how the
source, publisher, and type of study are important clues in this respect.
Uncertainty is everywhere
In measuring data, summarising data, and predicting effects. Communicating uncertainty is
a key aspect of solid science reporting. Journalists like hard and fast facts while scientists
often qualify statements with caution and uncertainty, understanding the sources of this
uncertainty will improve communication between the two.
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BENCHPRESS PROJECT
The Balance Problem
At the heart of a good story is conflict. However, attempts to provide “balance” by
presenting two different interpretations of a research finding can give scientific consensus
and fringe theory equal footing.
Scientists in the news
Inevitably, journalists will need to turn to scientists for expert opinion. It’s useful to know
where they can find a suitable expert and how to approach them. An understanding of the
language of scientists is also useful: the importance of precision and caveats, and to watch
out for words that have broad colloquial meanings but specific scientific ones.
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