Prominent journalist calls for more support for European science journalism
Policy makers at EU and national level have emphasised repeatedly that more must be done to communicate the potential and results of scientific research to the general public. Key to this aspiration is the media, but as Hungarian journalist István Palugyai explained to CORDIS News, science journalism is at different stages across Europe, and can use every bit of support that it gets from the European Commission. Mr Palugyai is the science editor at the largest selling serious newspaper in Hungary, Nepszabadsag. He has also been very involved in the European Commission's 'science and society' activities, for example as an evaluator for the Descartes Prize. 'There are new challenges for science writing in the EU-25,' said Mr Palugyai. 'The major challenge is to make a special allowance because there is still a major difference between science writing in the new Member States and the older Member States. And it is not just an East-West divide - there are also problems in Malta and Cyprus,' he said. Governments and scientists in Central and Eastern Europe have had the immense task of getting science communication back on track. There was actually a strong tradition of science communication in these countries before the transition, but it 'lost importance for the whole of the 1990s', according to Mr Palugyai. The Commission has, however, helped to revive the process. 'After all, after school, the media is where we get most of our information,' he added. One reason why the EU's newer Member States are struggling with science communication is that they are not yet as scientifically advanced, in broad terms, as their western neighbours, according to Mr Palugyai: 'Science journalism is always strictly connected to innovation and science itself.' For example, science journalism is 'flourishing' in Finland, said Mr Palugyai, and thriving in Ireland. Ireland is an interesting case, he explained. Innovation is now very strong in Ireland, but the country also shares a language with one of the largest EU countries, and one with a particularly good record in science journalism - the UK. Other small countries sharing a language with a bigger country, such as Austria and Switzerland, could learn from this, said Mr Palugyai. Austria currently has no magazines dedicated to science. Mr Palugyai will be speaking at the World Conference of Science Journalists in Montréal, Canada, at the beginning of October. He has been asked to talk about the state of science journalism in Europe. While he is expecting Europe to be fairly well represented at the event, he is aware that employers are under no obligation to send their science writers to the conference, and that the conference organisers only have a budget to pay for journalists from developing countries to attend. Those who do make it to Montréal will find it worthwhile, believes Mr Palugyai. 'Science is international and science journalism is international as well,' he said. While journalists covering domestic issues may not have many shared interests, journalists covering science are often covering the same issues. 'There are common problems and this is a chance to talk about these,' he added. One common problem is that science is not a priority for most media, and when a company is struggling it is often the science desk that is hit first. 'People have to understand that science is as important as sport or the arts,' said Mr Palugyai. He is hoping that the European Commission can get this message across, and is also hoping that support for science and society activities will continue in the Seventh Framework Programme.