Data collected in three recent reseach reports were examined to answer two basic questions about social science coverage in the news media. The first question, whether the media prefer social science stories to other kinds of science questions, was answered affirmatively by three kinds of evidence. First, combined analysis of 1977 and 1979…

Suggests that science writers have a responsibility to examine the social, political, and economic contexts of science. (DD)

Surveyed the attitudes of scientists toward the public dissemination of scientific information. Examined possible constraints relative to training and reward systems. Found general agreement that, except for research funding, little is to be gained within science by engaging in public dissemination of information. (PD)

In an attempt to identify criteria used by readers to select science news, a homogeneous group of women in the Philadelphia area was asked to indicate which of 48 science-news statements they would be interested in reading in their newspapers. The statements were condensed from stories selected from Philadelphia newspapers over a…

Reports on the news gathering behaviors of 24 mass media science writers. Concludes that organizational constraints were the major factors determining news selection strategies, but that individual-level variables came into play at both the information gathering and writing stages. (RL)

A group of 111 basic and applied scientists from two Ohio university campuses was interviewed to gather data about the amount of contact between scientists and media reporters, and the effects of such contact on scientists' attitudes toward media coverage of science. The data indicated that scientists had been interviewed by journalists much more…