Comments on: Another Death Knell for Science Journalism–From Natalie Angier

By: Marion Delgado

Marion Delgado — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:38:06 +0000

Steven, I agree, and I wasn’t so keen on him before he announced he was quitting.

JJ I think, honestly, we should acclimate people to a teeny, tiney news hole, maybe. It would be ironic if dailies became tiny – really tiny – and weeklies flourished because they’re free and mostly ads, but that’s the future I foresee. Maybe you can’t combine “newspaper” with “science coverage” for anything but a large area. For instance, here in Eugene, we might need to start a science weekly, that covers Eugene, Corvalllis, Salem and points in between, and is just science-related. And even that would have to be pop, and sensationalist enough to make people’s eyes roll.

By: gillt

gillt — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:21:42 +0000

I think you mean “Continued Death Knell For Science Journalism…”

I mean, how many death knells can one thing have?

By: JJ

JJ — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:19:06 +0000

The problem is that less people acknowledge print media today. If a newspaper has to cut back to lower costs, they’re going to cut the non-essential sections such as the science column, etc. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the Darwinistic nature of the free market.

By: Steven Earl Salmony

Steven Earl Salmony — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:36:12 +0000

With a bit of luck, the wind will be ever at Andy Revkin’s back.

By: Philip H.

Philip H. — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:23:14 +0000

Marion, I like your style. Now, how do we get you best paragraph down to a t-shirt?

Markets don’t give you what you want OR need – they trade whatever you can scrape up by way of labor or money for what, crudely expressed, the owners of resources and physical plant and the providers of finance and credit want to offer, and you then try to cobble together what you want and need from the menu you’re given.

By: Lab Lemming

Lab Lemming — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:32:49 +0000

Are they at least getting rid of that Tierney guy too?

By: Marion Delgado

Marion Delgado — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:20:34 +0000

Markets don’t give you what you want OR need – they trade whatever you can scrape up by way of labor or money for what, crudely expressed, the owners of resources and physical plant and the providers of finance and credit want to offer, and you then try to cobble together what you want and need from the menu you’re given.

It’s an unscientific folk-tale from the Golden Age of Capitalist Mythology that, surely, something *must* come along in the unbridled, viciously unequal Gilded Age/Robber Baron world to “fill the gap” that, in point of fact, what Adam Smith called the masters of mankind don’t even see.

To Dickens’ EXCELLENT summary via Scrooge of their attitude to social safety nets, we should add “Are the press releases circulating? Do the laws get written by our lobbyists? Are people free of confusing education that would be unprofitable or lead to power-sharing? Then all is well.”

By: The Science Pundit

The Science Pundit — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:31:10 +0000

I hope we don’t lose Natalie too: she’s always been my favorite science writer over at the Times (no offense, Carl).

By: Gaythia

Gaythia — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:11:21 +0000

It isn’t just science reporting, Chris, there are a lot of areas in which the US is failing to actively grasp the future. Our economy, and our society will be the worse for it if we cannot turn things around.

By: Brian Too

Brian Too — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:30:47 +0000

@badnicolez,

I guess those science reporters, they have a real problem huh? Not to mention all the scientists themselves. They’re all biased and Socialists. Can’t trust ‘em. Of course the Internet now, that’s where the truth can be found, right?

You probably want them to stop all that AGW talk completely now. How about you develop a committee, maybe something with real muscle, say a government committee. Then you can suppress all that annoying, slanted, Communist AGW reportage. You can be in charge!

But you don’t have a problem, do you? You know the truth. Good for you. Stay faithful. Support the deniers and stay the course!