Having done a "little" unpublished research on this, people are increasingly getting their news from the internet. Albeit some of those sources may be the primary news channels and news programs, but they are not reading the newspaper or watching news programs as much.
On Sat, Apr 9, 2011 at 9:59 AM, Esat Atikkan <[email protected]> wrote: > This discussion is extremely interesting and timely. I am not sure of the > statistics but it is widely held that the public receives much of its > information (news, science, medicine, etc.) via the media, namely TV. Thus it > becomes incumbent upon it to provide accurate information. I am certain that > a > significant number of us have observed occasions, on TV, where that criterion > was not met. Even bona fide scientists can become 'distorted' - examples > would > be Dr. Oz and a plethora of other media physicians, 'Dr's and ‘Prof’s X, Y, Z > narrating cosmology shows, the list goes on. > > Yet I am thankful for each and every one of those exaggerations, because the > next day I can take it to the forum of my students – a teaching point has > risen, > a discussion of the science ensues, the final lesson being ‘not all that is on > TV, or print, and most notably, on the internet, should be taken at face > value.’ > > Yes it is sad that hyperbole appears to have become an integral part of the > material that media feeds the public. The direst of outcomes of the range of > outcomes predicted by models make the news, prognostications of traumatic, > fatalistic ends appear to receive the greatest ‘press’, yet the variables that > the models incorporate are rarely discussed. > > Is good science absent from TV? I think no easy answer exists – interesting > science abounds, possible technological breakthroughs are disseminated, the > caveat being they are usually presented as ‘ready to roll’, though they may > still be prototypes. > > > Are there learning opportunities on TV? – My response is a resounding Yes! > Each > item that is presented as ‘scientific fact’, ‘scientific discovery’, > ‘technological breakthrough’ and the like, that is of interest to me (or > potentially to my students) opens up research to chase down the facts. > > Not sure if it truly applies to material that we acquire via the media, but > caveat emptor does come to mind. > > Esat Atikkan > > > > -- Malcolm L. McCallum Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan Nation 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
