Media
The media
The facts are attention-grabbing
Credibility in neuroscience is important for everyone, not just researchers.
In 2017, the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) published the report: Enhancing the use of scientific evidence to judge the potential benefits and harms of medicines.
A survey of the general public conducted as part of the report found that only 37% of respondents trusted evidence from medical research. While there are many complex factors that affect public trust in research, the report identified that more could be done to improve 'the generation, trustworthiness and communication of scientific evidence’.
This is just one of many examples (A manifesto for reproducible science, for example) where the reliability of modern day research, and research reporting have been bought into question (for more information see our manifesto page).
In terms of communication, the AMS report highlighted the need for researchers, research funders, universities, and press officers to work together to ensure scientific evidence is communicated accurately, and that journalists should be aware of the potential impact of their reporting.
What can the media do?
It is important that when writing about research studies in science or health news to provide a realistic representation of study outcome. Include any caveats or limitations, and report what a study doesn’t show as well as what it might.
A recent study ‘Claims of causality in health news: a randomised trial’ found that more accurate press releases did not affect news uptake, indicating that cautious and precise does not mean boring and unreportable (for more insight see our interview
with our Credibility Advisory Board
member Professor Chris Chambers
who led the study with Professor Petroc Sumner
at the School of Psychology, Cardiff University).
More guidance and information on research reporting can be found at the Science Media Centre, where you can also find the '10 best practice guidelines for reporting science & health stories’.
Do one thing - Include caveats and limitations