Bridging Science and Journalism: Identifying the Role of Public Relations in the Construction and Circulation of Stem Cell Research Among Laypeople. (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lynch, John; Bennett, Desiré; Luntz, Alison; Toy, Courtney; VanBenschoten, Eva
• Is Part Of: Science communication. Volume 36:Number 4(2014:Aug.)
• Page Start: 479
• Page End: 501
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: stem cells -- public relations -- science journalism -- rhetoric -- qualitative analysis; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Knowledge, Sociology of -- Periodicals; Communication in science -- Periodicals; Communication of technical information -- Periodicals; Communication in medicine -- Periodicals; Information scientifique -- Périodiques; Information technique -- Périodiques; Communication en sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Communication en médecine -- Périodiques; 300.14
• DOI: 10.1177/1075547014533661
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1075-5470

Abstract

Journalism has been a key site for communicating science, and public relations departments at universities and research hospitals are a vital institutional link between science and journalism. Located betwixt scientific demands for didactic explanations of science and journalistic desire for interesting stories, biomedical public relations writing juggles competing rhetorical demands. This study shows that press releases favor the concerns of internal scientific audiences over journalistic audiences. Yet stories that provide journalistic appeals to application are more likely to gain a journalist's attention, although journalists will then develop their own appeals to application to incorporate into the story.