Overview

What happens when science hits the headlines – for all the wrong reasons? Do you remember the ‘Climategate’ email leak? Or the ‘Frankenscience’-style headlines about the perils of GM foods? What about the time the government sacked its own science advisor for challenging drug laws? The truth behind the attention-grabbing headlines was complex, nuanced – sometimes even mundane. Yet that’s not how it was reported or remembered. We rely on the media to help us make sense of complicated scientific developments that could transform our world. Yet all too often, science coverage in the British press has been less fact than fiction. And equally scientists have too often either avoided engaging with the press or have been actively prevented from doing so. The result? Media hype, political spin, and misinformation from those with vested interests. In Beyond the Hype, Fiona Fox – founding director of the Science Media Centre, set up by scientists to encourage openness and accuracy in science communication – takes us behind the scenes of some of the most contentious stories in science over the past two decades. From animal research and genetically modified foods to hybrid embryos and climate change, she reveals the highs and lows of each controversy and shows us how transparency can radically transform the way science is reported, and what a difference that makes to public understanding.

Full Product Details

9781783966172

Table of Contents

Reviews

‘A lively insider’s account’ Times Literary Supplement   ‘When science hits the headlines, Fiona Fox ... is at the heart of the action’ Financial Times   ‘This is how to talk about science’ Justin Webb ‘A candid inside account . . . [Fox] reveals how frontline science can be just as messy, complex and feudal as any political drama.’ Anjana Ahuja, co-author of Spike: The Virus Versus the People ‘The way the media covers science stories and breakthroughs has never been more important or relevant . . . This book should be recommended reading’ Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of The Life Scientific ‘The pandemic has repeatedly shown the vital necessity for accurate reporting of science . . . Fox provides some riveting stories about the ups and downs of this continuing struggle.’ David Spiegelhalter, author of The Art of Statistics ‘Engaging, illuminating, important’ Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism ‘A vivid account of how journalists and scientists interact’ David Willetts, former Minister for Universities and Science

Author Information

Fiona Fox became the founding director of the Science Media Centre in 2001. She has won several awards for her achievements, and in 2014, she was awarded an OBE for her services to science. She holds honorary fellowships at the Royal Society of Biology, the British Pharmacological Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol. She writes regularly for science publications and occasionally for national newspapers.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available