Science Writing at a University

Earle Holland

Earle Holland was the senior science and research communications officer at Ohio State University. He is an expert in science communications and risk communications and has taught science journalism for more than two decades.
He talks about the role of science writers in a big University, who are also called Public Information Officers (PIOs). Such universities have several departments, thus they have to prioritize which stories are to be covered. Usually, PIOs believe their allegiance is to the public. This brings problems with it, as science writers run for more reach and publicity; which can lead to misinterpretation or misinformation. This can damage the reputation of the university they represent. The author writes that PIOs should have their allegiance to the researchers. They should draw a line between science writing and creating unnecessary hype.

Universities generate more research than any outlet of society. Science writers have to divide topics among themselves to be covered. Sometimes they overlap. A good collaboration between researcher and writer is essential for quality science articles. They have to maintain a delicate trade-off between the demand of journalism and the limitations of science. They are doing responsible science-communication if they consult another researcher before publishing their articles.