Science journalists call for new approach to reporting

Vedrana Simičević from Croatia said that science journalists have a big responsibility during crisis situations, because they have the skills that other journalists may not have. "Science journalists know how to explain science, find the right sources and present complicated scientific subjects to people in a simple way. I think it is our duty in such crises to even try to influence the decisions of the people," she said.

It is very difficult to persuade people, especially when it comes to issues such as Covid-19 vaccination, as people's views include strong emotions, so an attempt to persuade them might even have a reverse effect, said Nejc Ploh, researcher from the psychology department of the Maribor Faculty of Arts.

But he thinks climate change is a more promising area, where opinions are less polarised.

Still, not much has changed in people's awareness despite years of reporting about climate change, so former head of the World Federation of Science Journalists Milica Momčilović from Serbia thinks a different approach is needed.

She believes some other aspects of climate change such as the effects on health and social consequences should be included in the narrative.

Unlike the communicators of science, science journalists are primary watchdogs, the participants agreed. "We have to ask very difficult questions, as science has dark sides too, which we have to reveal," said Julianne Photopoulos from Greece.

Simičević said that the media landscape depends on the economic situation of the country. She said she was sceptical about Croatian media, seeing only degradation in the last 20 years. "Such a situation will marginalise science," she warned.

She thinks science journalists in Croatia should even consider using other channels in their work. Momčilović agreed. "The people we need to address use different platforms today, such as TikTok," she said.

Photopoulos meanwhile sees potential in local media, as they have genuine contact with the people. "In Greece, journalism is really under-resourced and trust in the media is also very low. But I think local media could have a big impact at local level and make a significant difference for people," she said.

The debate was held as part of a conference of science journalists from the Balkans and was organised by the Balkan Association of Science Journalists. The conference was sponsored by NGO promoting scientific achievements EurekAlert!, which operates as part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).