Science plays a role in a wide variety of major news stories that are not, at first glance, about "science." From the Fukushima disaster (science issues: earthquakes, nuclear engineering, public health) to the tragedy that struck Newtown (science issues: mental health), good science reporting can lend insight to news stories, broaden public understanding of events and help place events in context. However, flawed reporting can misrepresent conjecture as "facts" and allow misinformation to hide behind a facade of "science." What can reporters do to improve the odds of getting it right? How can scientists who have relevant expertise become part of the conversation? And how can public information officers (PIOs) help connect journalists with the right experts?
Several interesting links on science and breaking news ---
