Author
L.P. Francescutti
Dr.Antonio Esteve Foundation
TORRE ESTEVEPasseig de la Zona Franca, 109
08038 Barcelona
Tel:
93 433 53 20
E-mail:
fundacion@esteve.org
Following the sequencing of the human genome, the SARS outbreak and therapeutic cloning, the debates on science journalism organized by the Esteve Foundation this time focused on an unpublished study on major Spanish television channels’ coverage of scientific news. This research was carried out by the Group for Advanced Study of Communication at theUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos, led by Professor Pablo Francescutti.
After analyzing all the news broadcast by the news on TVE1, Antena 3, Cuatro and Telecinco in their evening broadcasts from April 2007 to March 2008, the study determined for the first time that science occupies only 1.1% of all information disseminated. These figures mean that, on average and between all TV channels, a total of 30 science news items are broadcast a month or i.e. merely one each day.
Why does scientific content occupy such an inconsequential amount of airtime on Spanish news? What topics make it through the filter of the news? What are the most frequent sources of journalists? These are some of the questions raised by the report which formed part of the fourth debate on science journalism held by the Esteve Foundation on November 6, 2009, which took place in Madrid for the first time. Again, four journalists and four scientists were invited to exchange views and shared ideas about the research data collected by Francescutti. This Esteve Foundation Review brings together two valuable areas of analysis.
Firstly, the results of research on the reporting of scientific information on Spanish television news, which is the first time that the volume of scientific news over the course of a year in news broadcasts with the biggest audience has been studied. Secondly, the reflections of the eight participants in the debate on this data. The scientific field is represented in the book by José Elguero, of the Institute of Medical Chemistry of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC); Antonio Hernandez, director of the Institute of Applied Magnetism; Ignasi Ribas, researcher of Astrophysics at CSIC; and Antoni Trilla, from the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Barcelona Hospital Clinic.
The world of journalism is represented in the review by Graziella Almendral, former editor of Antena 3 News and currently working at Indagando TV, an internet channel devoted entirely to science; Antonio Calvo Roy, president of the Spanish Association of Scientific Communication; Ignacio Fernández Bayo, director of the scientific promotion company Divulga SL; and Jose Maria Montero, director of the environmental TV program Espacio Protegido on Canal Sur 2.
Full document | ||
Entire document | L.P. Francescutti | [wpdm id=552 type=”btn”] |
Chapters | ||
Introducción | P. Morales | [wpdm id=553 type=”btn”] |
1. Informe ‘La información científica en los telediarios españoles’ | P. Francescutti / Grupo de Estudios Avanzados de Comunicación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos | [wpdm id=554 type=”btn”] |
2.1. Debate ‘La información científica en los telediarios españoles’ – Participantes | [wpdm id=555 type=”btn”] | |
2.2. Debate ‘La información científica en los telediarios españoles’ – Síntesis del debate | P. Morales | [wpdm id=556 type=”btn”] |
2.3. Debate ‘La información científica en los telediarios españoles’ – Puntos de vista | G. Almendral / I. Fernández Bayo / J. Elguero / J.M. Montero / I. Ribas | [wpdm id=557 type=”btn”] |