CJR : The Observatory

Some Optimism for the Future of Science Journalism

2009-07-02T21:43:11Z

LONDON — Amidst the gloomy climate in American science journalism, leading British editors have a decidedly upbeat view about coverage. “I have an enormously sunny outlook for the future of science journalism,” said James Harding, editor of London’s The Times. “Science is absolutely essential to what we do.” Harding said that last year he saw predictable spikes when...

NSF “Underwriting” Coverage…

2009-07-01T15:23:29Z

LONDON — The sixth World Conference of Science Journalists got off to an enjoyably controversial start here on Tuesday afternoon. The event takes place against the backdrop of concurrent editorials in the world’s leading scientific journals, Science and Nature (the former by CJR contributing editor Cristine Russell), exploring the ongoing “crisis” and potential...

Health Wealth

2009-06-30T18:16:49Z

Earlier this month, the Lancet published two studies clarifying some long-standing questions about global health financing and the effectiveness of health programs. One of the studies, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, provided a comprehensive list of sources of public health funding, including—for the first time—non-governmental organizations in the U.S that offer ‘development assistance’...

Reprimanded Psychiatrist? Bad Advice?

2009-06-24T18:10:08Z

Last May, a Peabody was awarded to the film Depression: Out of the Shadows, a documentary which aired in 2008 on PBS, was produced by Twin Cities Public Television and WGBH Boston, and was written and directed by Minneapolis-based filmmaker Larkin McPhee. The documentary profiled a wide variety of patients struggling with depression, including a...

Climate Change, Crop Catastrophe

2009-06-22T16:41:32Z

California’s awful fiscal and economic crises—$24 billion budget shortfall, fifth highest level of unemployment in the nation—have been much in the press lately. A common theme of the coverage is California’s economic resiliency—things may be nasty now, but the state still has plenty going for it: Hollywood, Silicon Valley, tourism, an excellent public university system. But one...

Gene Randall “Reporting,” Inc.

2009-06-16T16:00:35Z

Former CNN correspondent-turned-PR consultant Gene Randall’s video “report” for oil giant Chevron might be unprecedented for how it blurred the line between public relations and journalism. But the Randall-Chevron production raises not only ethical questions, but also the question of whether a surge of newly pink-slipped reporters might go, as one media critic put it, “over to the...

Talking Shop: Karen Ravn

2009-06-15T18:00:33Z

In “Body of Lies,” a recent article published in the Los Angeles Times, Karen Ravn reported on the widespread problem of dishonesty among patients when talking to their doctors. Here, Ravn answers a few questions via e-mail about the piece and her thoughts on the future of health journalism. Sanhita Reddy: “Body of Lies” explores a particular aspect...

Pregnancy Pounds

2009-06-10T22:29:14Z

Eating for two might not be such good advice for expectant mothers, according to new guidelines for how much weight women should gain during pregnancy, issued The National Institute of Medicine last week. Most reporters were adept at explaining the new guidelines, as well as relevant studies about pregnancy and weight gain. But many could have done...

Earth 2100 Sizzles

2009-06-05T17:22:42Z

On Tuesday night, ABC News aired a two-hour special called Earth 2100, describing the potentially apocalyptic scene that could await us at the end of the century. The network abandoned cautious storytelling, opting instead to portray “the worst-case scenario for human civilization… if we fail to seriously address the complex problem of climate change, resource depletion and overpopulation,” as executive...

Foolish Fusion

2009-06-04T20:19:12Z

Coverage of the dedication ceremony for the National Ignition Facility, the world’s largest laser system, may have made it hard to discern how NIF’s work differs from Dr. Octopus’s fusion experiment in Spiderman II. Media outlets skirted around substantial explanations of NIF, providing cursory information that left readers confused about how the facility will achieve its three main...

Sotomayor’s “Sweet” Side

2009-06-02T22:06:47Z

Over the past week, members of the news media have talked a lot about SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s race and ethnic background. But they have also devoted a surprising amount of attention to her status as a Type 1 diabetic. As we learned from the coverage of John McCain’s melanomas during last year’s presidential primary, it is...

Climate Bill Cacophony

2009-05-27T15:15:00Z

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce committee approved energy and climate legislation that could put the first national cap on greenhouse-gas emissions. Many news reports called the decision a “landmark” and “historic.” Indeed it was. But the best adjective for the legislative wrangling—as employed by The Washington Post and the

Probability Problems

2009-05-22T16:45:00Z

A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, which found that end-of-the-century global warming could be twice as severe as previous estimates, drew a limited amount of press attention on Thursday. Few of the resulting articles, unfortunately, are totally satisfying. One of the most conspicuous

“The Mediacene Age”

2009-05-19T20:31:34Z

On Tuesday, The New York Times ran its second article about a 47-million-year-old skeleton that is being described as “the most complete fossil primate ever discovered.” The monkey-like creature, an entirely new genus and species, might be a "missing link" between modern primates—such as monkeys, apes and humans—and the descendants from which they evolved. But that was the...

Trek Tech

2009-05-14T22:13:49Z

I am not a Trekkie, despite my older brothers’ countless attempts to make me one. But the first time I saw a Bluetooth receiver, I just couldn’t help but think of Lieutenant Uhura and her iconic earpiece communicator. With the release of the newest Star Trek movie, articles are pouring out of media outlets like