The increasing demand for information in today’s society has reached every area of knowledge. This obviously includes science, which should be able to respond with utmost efficacy and rigor. On May 30, 1990, the Esteve Foundation organized an international symposium on scientific journalism at the Association of Journalists of Catalonia, which gathered scientists, journalists and other people connected to the world of communication.

Aspects such as the impact of mass media on the transmission of medical news, the sometimes problematic, sometimes fruitful relationship between science and journalism, or ethical responsibility in scientific discussion, were debated. This meeting gave rise to a series of conclusions oriented towards a better diffusion of biomedical news. Proposals like the need for better scientific training of those handling this kind of information, the need for caution when managing latest scientific news, or the bet for a broader disclosure of science in mass media, were submitted.

Among other attendants to this symposium were members of the scientific sections of Spanish newspapers (La Vanguardia, El País…), foreign newspapers (Le Figaro, La Stampa…) and representatives of biomedical journals like New Scientist, Investigación y Ciencia or The Lancet. The counsellor of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Joan Guitart, and the Director-General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, also attended this meeting.