The use of Internet in newsgathering among European science journalists

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advantages for using the Web, but they also aware that the lethargy is also playing
a part in this process. As interviewee 2 put it:

We’re used to it and we have grown lazy. It is possible to work
without the Internet, but it would be much more difficult nowadays.
We would loose the instantaneity that Internet brings. We could go
back to snail mail or phone interviews, but it wouldn’t be the same.
[Interview 2]

Nothing will ever be the same for science journalism in Europe and the world
after the introduction of the Internet in newsrooms just ten years ago. This thesis
has shown how the newsgathering practices of European science journalists have
been changing and how these professionals are adapting to this new technology in
their daily routines.
From the public understanding of science perspective, this thesis also shows that
the efforts of the scientific community to bring science closer to the public have
found a powerful ally on science journalists, who believe they make a
contribution to society by the type of reporting they do (as the survey as shown).
At the same time, many reporters support the effort for a more educated society
and want to take part in that task:

We write about science and technology because we believe that the
more people know and understand, the better informed public
opinion will be. (Rensberger 2000, p.61)

Research has shown that routine forces are more successful in winning the
competition to determine what becomes news (Shoemaker, Eichholz et al. 2001,
p.242). By creating routine events, as the weekly press releases of science
journals, science institutions have succeeded in pushing the science agenda
through editors meetings. By making scientists more available, inviting them to
help rebuild public trust on science, universities and laboratories found support on
science journalists eager to legitimate their sources and their beat.

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Whether they want it or not, journalists help legitimate and even
glorify the sources and strata from which they report. In effect,
journalists “follow the power.” (Gans 2003, p.47)

The future will show if the tendencies identified in this project will prevail, that is,
if European science journalists will keep relying on information subsidies coming
from peer-reviewed journals and will keep using the Internet as their main source
for finding science news. From the results obtained during this project, it is fair to
say that younger science journalists will probably make this tendency stronger in
the future.
More media covering less science stories seems to be the present and the future of
science journalism in Europe, as organizational pressures are keeping journalists
inside their newsrooms, permanently checking the same websites for news. As it
happens with the loss of biodiversity, the loss of infodiversity in science news –
already visible in the concentration of sources –, will probably grow in the next
few years.

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6 For how many years have you been a journalist?
(You can use decimals, if you really need to. Example: 0.5)
_________years

7 For how many years have you been working in the science area?
(You can use decimals, if you really need to. Example: 0.5)
_________ years

8 What is your highest level of education?
Finished high school
Some university
A university degree
A master’s degree
A PhD

9 Which area is your highest degree in?
Science/Engineering/Medicine
Journalism/Communication
Other (social sciences, business, law,...) ____________

10 What are your three main sources for science news?
(check the three that apply)
Scientific meetings
University press releases
Government press releases
Peer-reviewed scientific journals
Industry press releases
Non-governmental organizations
Other media
Personal contacts

11 How would you describe the majority of your relations with your
sources?
Cooperative
Adversarial

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12 Do you report on scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals?
Yes
No

13 Do you think that the embargo system for scientific journals, which states
that the media cannot write about an article before a given time, should be
maintained?
Yes
No
14 Which statement best describes your thoughts about the embargo
system? (choose only one)
The embargo serves mainly the interests of journalists because it gives them more
time to write about a complex issue
The embargo serves mainly the interests of the audiences because it controls
sensitive science information
The embargo serves mainly the interests of scientific journals because it
guarantees them more publicity
The embargo serves mainly the interests of scientists because it allows enough
dissemination before publication

15 On a scale from 1 to 7, say if you agree or disagree with the following
statements
1= very strongly disagree 4= neither agree nor disagree 7= very strongly agree
a) As a science journalist, I make a contribution to society by the type of writing
and reporting I do
b) I feel pressure from management to be “more creative” in writing science
stories
c) Science journalists are more accurate in their reporting than other journalists
d) My credibility is tested more often than the credibility of other journalists at
my organization
e) Science journalists have "more tenacity" than other journalists to uncover fraud
on their areas
f) Science journalists from different media help each other more than journalists
in other areas
g) Other journalists and editors at my organization do not take science journalists
seriously
h) Most science journalists give a positive view of their sources
i) Science journalists should have a science background
j) I prefer to write breaking news, instead of bigger in-depth stories

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16 How would you describe the majority of your relations with science
journalists working in other organizations?
Cooperative
Adversarial

17 How often do the following situations occur?
Never=0 Sometimes=1 Most of the time=2 Always=3
I discuss story ideas with science journalists working in other organizations
When covering an event, science journalists cooperate with each other
What other journalists write is used by me to assess the quality of my work
What other journalists write is used by my superiors to assess the quality of my
work

18 What kind of reader do you have in mind when writing your stories?
____________________________________________________________

19 How frequently do you receive feedback from your audience?
Daily
2-3 times a week
Once a week or less
Once a month or less

20 As a whole, do you think the quality of science news is better or worse
than it was 10 years ago?
Better
The same
Worse
I don’t know

21 As a whole, do you think the quantity of science news produced by the
media has increased or decreased in the last 10 years?
Quantity has increased
Quantity is the same
Quantity has decreased
I don’t know

END OF PART 1 – You have now finished the first part of the questionnaire.
There are only eight more questions about the use you make of the Internet in
your daily work. Thanks again for your help.

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22 If you use the Internet, what do you use it for? (Check all that apply)
Reading publications on-line
Usenet newsgroups
Story ideas
Downloading databases
Searching for press releases
Finding new sources, experts
Contacting sources
General E-mail
Reading weblogs
Downloading still images
Article research, reference material

23 How often do you search for information online?
Continuously (3-4 times a day or more)
Frequently (1-2 times a day)
Sometimes (at least 2-3 times a week)
Rarely (less than once a week)
Never or almost never

24 How often do you go online to check or send e-mail?
Continuously (3-4 times a day or more)
Frequently (1-2 times a day)
Sometimes (at least 2-3 times a week)
Rarely (less than once a week)
Never or almost never

25 How many hours do you spend working online in a typical day, for e-mail
and online searching?
(You can use decimals, if you really need to. Example: 0.5)
At home ___________ hours/day
At work ____________hours/day

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26 On a scale from 1 to 7, rate the credibility of information offered by the
following
1=Not credible 7=Highly credible
Political organizations
International organizations (UN, EU, etc.)
Government websites
University websites
Big news organizations (CNN, AP, BBC, etc.)
General interest portals (Yahoo, AOL, etc.)
Usenet newsgroups
Chats, message boards
Corporate websites
Industry websites
Science journals’ websites
Activists’ websites
27 Which search engine do you use the most?
Alltheweb
Altavista
Ask Jeeves
Dogpile
Excite
Google
Lycos
Teoma
Yahoo
Other ______________

28 Which are your three favourite sites for science news?
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

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29 Indicate if you agree or disagree with following statements
1=Very strongly disagree 4=Neither agree nor disagree 7=Very strongly agree
a) The Internet has made my job easier
b) The Internet has improved the quality of my job
c) The Internet has improved science journalism in general
d) The Internet is making science news more diverse
e) The Internet is making journalists go out of the newsroom more
f) The Internet is making science journalism focus on breaking news
g) The Internet is helping to publicize more European science
h) The Internet is helping to publicize more American science

Would you like to receive information on the final results of this survey when
they become available?
Yes
No