31 May 1974, Volumiie 184, Numiibcr AMERICAN ASSOCIATFION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE Scietnce serves its readers as a forumn for the pr esentation and discuLssion of iiimportant issues related to the advancement of science, incltuding} the presenitation of minorits oi conflictin- points of view, a-11ther than by publishing- only :iiatcrial oni which a consensus has been treached. Accor d- ingly, altl a ticles lpLblished in Siie'lC 11includintg d^Cfitot ils, nlews and commcint, and book reLviews -are signled and reflect the individuLal views of the aLut1001S atild tiot oilicial points of vicv adoptcd bs the AAAS oi the institLutions wi ith w hich thlc athor; ,o1e aIflilialted. Editorial Boar(I 1974 ALFRL) Bitowss FR\NK XV. PUINANI JANIEs F. CRONN' \tuXiNI\. SiNiF SEiN'IOtR S. Kr.t GORDON Vs1N SN I sRNK PiRiSS 1975 I-lRBERI S. GUt.IOsWSKY N. BRUcI HANNAY DONALD KirNrNEi D)%NtiI E. KoSHILAND, JR. DOsN \Ll) I iNtISLEs itol Psi IRi K RAsYNoo H. Too0NrlsoN Editorial Stall Editor P'HILIP H. ABELSON PLublishler Buisine ss Maniager WILLIt BELVASN HANs Nussissuri Mfanaging Editor: ROBERT V. ORNIES Assistant Editors: ELLEN E. MURPHY, JOHIN E. KINGIt 1isi,itstois to iths 1 i/ito ss: .5 'i Tii1\M R1i S\N. Netv.s andti C'otuiient JOHN WALStH, LU iER J. CA,ltlEl, DLBORAH SHAI'LEL', IROliERT GILLETTE, NtICii()- LAS WADE, CONSIANCE HOLDEN, BARBARA J. CULLI'ION. SCIHERRAINE MIACK Reiearc/h Nesvs: ALLEN L. IIANsNlOND, W ILLIMi 1). N iz, rIotNi,s I1. NIsu(sIi II, JEAN L. NI tRix. ARliisui L. RIi3Ns)N. (jtNS\ IARi KOLA-I S Boo/ Revsiewss Si'LVIA ELisBRH Rr. KStiHERlINIt I is iNuSti()N, ANN O'BItIEN Couvr Editor: GRAYcE FIN6EIi Editorial Assistants: NIARiAREi ALLES, IS\1si LLI IBOiULI)IN, ELEANORE Bu-it, NlARi l)ORi NtAN, JUDiit1 (tsiV liiiLR, CORRINE HAsRRIS, NANc, HARIN AiLL, OLi-,LI 1LtL(IW0-, C HRISTINt- KRLIK, MAR6SARLEi LLOYD0 ERIC PoGtI.N '0SIIL., JEAN Ro('\k'OOD, LiEAHt Ri SN, LoiIs S( Nit1i N(IICStEALL SL lHIWARI Z, Rti HiRD SE.K1t.()Sis,i Vs L SWs lARIs ELEANOR WARNER (Giiile' to Scien tifii Inist;-ltlettts: RICHARD SO(NINIER .XMembi/er.s/iip Rec uiiient: GW' ENDOLYN 1 UDLE; S/ib sit iptiism Rs'corivi and MXlemb/er Recordls: ANN Advertising Staff Di ector Produictiotn .l anaget EARL .1. SCHEiRA(GO ;t\liRGARLI StILRLINsG Ails crti.sin- Sales Aslaiaget RILCHiARt) L. C H ARLIS SaIes: Ni\'V YORK. N.Y. 10036: Ileibert L. Bitrklund, 11 W. 42 St. (212-PE-6-1858); SCOrTH PLAINS, N.J. 07076: C. RichaiCd Callis, 12 Unanmi I ane (2(01-889- 4873); Ciucsu(io, li.t. 6061 1: Jac.k Rvani, RooImi 2107, 919 N. Michigan Ave. (312-DE-7-4973); BEV- 5IRLY HILLS, CALIF. 90211: XVinn Nance. II1 N. La Cienega Blvd. (213-657-2772) EDITORtIAL CORRESPONDENCE: 1515 Massa- chiisetts Ave., NXV, Washington. D.C. 20005. Phones: (At-ea code 202) Central Oftice: 467-4)35; Book Re- viesis: 467-4367; Btisines, Oflice: 467-4411; Ciicula tion: 467-4417; Guide to Scientific IInstl-inients: 467- 4480; Neesis aild Comimilient: 467-4430; Reprints and Permissions: 467-4483; Research Nesss: 467-4321, Reviessing: 467-4440. Cable: Advancesci. Washington. Copies of "bInst-tictions for Conti-ibi tors" can be obtainecl ftomii the eclitorial office. See alio page xx, Science, 29 NMarcCh 1974. ADVERTISING CORRE- SPONDENCE: Roomii 1740, 11 W. 42 St. New York, N.Y. 10036. P'hotne: 212-PE-6-1858. SCIE:NCE:4140 Media Coverage of Substantive Issues A cUrsorX e\aimination of IlCWS Sources lead's to the CoIICilusion that citiZCels halxve a great nuthliber of opportIties to becotie well informned. They caln) X ieX programils oil the various television channels. Most radio statioIls tiX e the news att least hoUrly some continuoUsly-and there are many talk slhows. Newspapers and newsweeklies .attempt to carry on their tradditional funlction. Yct ;l closer exalinioatioii I cxcVals that the ncwvs mcdia ai rc itot etlective in presenting balanced inews in depth, bLut are to a degree contributing to zi IiialflIIFCtio1lilig oof society. They have participcited in creatili tand exacertatillng scelies of crises bs overconceiltraitillni attentioll on par- ticuilair topics. T pically, tif tcr aI period of colicentrated attention, the imCedial Suddenl-y drop olne topic as they ruLsh to indlUlge in ovxerkill ot the next one. These tendenicies were noted by Alan L. OLten iii a reccilt col1iiiin in the Woll Sitreet Jottimitl : which lbegan: (One iilohii rk of contemjporar\ America, it'S fteCqUeritiV beenl noted, is he shot-t life-spai of its ct ises. A Pt'Trotl emetCIiges studdenly l3Oilids s ifltly to ci isis pi-opot linis, briefly doinliletes IlLiu lic COn3sciOLUStCSs atid concetin, 1mnd thnCIbtrUt tly faldes firon c'ws is il iehts, tut bandecal y huinger, dirLgs, imee, caMpuLIs unrli-est, iciliceld c*t C. tile cCx it on1met, ener11 onC stucceeIs anothei 's ith bluringI ispeed, iltmlost its thizol-1 so0iC iSSuIC Of-the-year cltb XXerc in cha-re. A glance cit Ottenl's list leaves onc with the imapr-essioni ot a variable cim1OLuInt ot resiLIuC from the periods of great mass miedia attenitiol. Most of the topics listed are nlow practically decid as fcir as the medici are conicerincd. True, there is a considerable residuc tfromii emphasis oni the enivironituicint both in legislition- cnd in puiblic collsness, ailthough with shcirply curtailed miedia coverage, the public conicerin and initercst haive lessenied. After tretmCenidouis attention, niews coverage of the energy crisis hals cilmost discippecared, aind there is little indiccition of sUibstanttive progress in mceting the ISSLIC. The basic problems renlain, but the pub- lic is hored with the subject, and the net effect of the coverag,e is to make it morc diflicuilt for progress to be mcide in the fuLture. Another uinidesirable feature of the massive attention is its lack of qUtllity. The bizcirre aind the spectaicular liews takes precedenice over reports with balalnce and suibstance. We at Scie,icc frequeintly have op- l-ortilities to evaluate the performance of the medici in llnecirthing the f'acts aibOut c given situation, and mor-e often than not we cire dis- cippointed. This is particularly truLe in those areas in XX hich scienIce and technology titeract with public policy. These issICs cire Usually com- plex and encdLiring a.nd niot well hcandled by slick or sensational jouLrn.alistii. The cuirrentipractices of the mass miedia point 11 the value of ptib- 1Icactions like ,Scic;icc' that cire desigined to informa rather thacn to excite. AlthouLgh our resources are comnpairatively 133odest, wXc feel no handiclcp in comtipeti;ig. OIt aIly topic we choose to cover, we can if we wish produLlce ci maore roulided, coniiplete, balcnced, cind scholarly story. UsU- cilly we dlo niot choose to comapete on topics that are being well covcred bv others. 'We prefer to pilipoitit issuCs before they cire in vogue, alId we cire not civerse to decililn with significcint topics after others have dropped the!)), provided there is nIew cid relevant inforimiationi. In ouir eflorts to m))ainitain qulality, wc are fortUinlatC in hcavi1n2 a recider- ship thcit expects good pertorlalnce. Ouir iLuthors understcand this alid teliLc to behcave accordingly. We are also fortuncinte in hciving cin aLIdiCilce that V Ilues rigor cind discussioni in depth and is willing to conitilrbite ideis, time, cind maoney to the commion objective.-Pl 1I_.W H. ABEt SON A. L. Otten, Wall .S5tetJJoirnta/, 6 Mciv 1974, p. 16. o n A p ril 5 , 2 0 2 1 h ttp ://scie n ce .scie n ce m a g .o rg / D o w n lo a d e d fro m http://science.sciencemag.org/ Media Coverage of Substantive Issues Philip H. Abelson DOI: 10.1126/science.184.4140.941 (4140), 941.184Science ARTICLE TOOLS http://science.sciencemag.org/content/184/4140/941.citation PERMISSIONS http://www.sciencemag.org/help/reprints-and-permissions Terms of ServiceUse of this article is subject to the trademark of AAAS. is a registeredScienceAdvancement of Science, 1200 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005. The title (print ISSN 0036-8075; online ISSN 1095-9203) is published by the American Association for theScience 1974 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science o n A p ril 5 , 2 0 2 1 h ttp ://scie n ce .scie n ce m a g .o rg / D o w n lo a d e d fro m http://science.sciencemag.org/content/184/4140/941.citation http://www.sciencemag.org/help/reprints-and-permissions http://www.sciencemag.org/about/terms-service http://science.sciencemag.org/