Finding Out about Science through the News: How Specialist and Non-Specialist Science Journalists’ Epistemic Aims and Practices Vary

Abstract

People resort to the news to find out about science, but the evolving media landscape has transformed how science is reported. Due to media’s infrastructural challenges, specialist journalists and non-specialist science journalists report on science. Given that journalists hold an epistemic function by disseminating knowledge claims, this exploratory study sought to understand how epistemic and non-epistemic aims and epistemic practices compare between specialist and non-specialist journalists reporting on science. We adopted a case study analysis and analyzed two focus group with distinct samples (specialist/non-specialist journalists). Both groups mentioned epistemic aims, but these differed: non-specialist journalists aimed for objectivity and fairness, while specialist journalists aimed at explaining science. Non-specialist journalists also verbalized financial incentives and speed as non-epistemic aims. The epistemic practices between the groups also varied extensively; only making science personally relevant applied to both groups. The study holds implications for journalism instruction and curricula for science reporting.