A new study published in the journal Public Understanding of Science suggests that the oft-cited disconnect between science and the media may be more of a myth than a reality.

The study, conducted by researchers at Cornell University, analyzed over 1,300 news stories about climate change that were published in major U.S. newspapers between 2000 and 2010. The researchers found that the overall accuracy of the stories was high, with only 2% of them containing significant factual errors.

The researchers also found that the stories were generally fair and balanced, with equal attention given to both the scientific consensus on climate change and the views of skeptics.

The study suggests that the media is doing a relatively good job of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change to the public, and that the disconnect between science and the media may be overstated.

However, it's important to note that the study only looked at news stories about climate change. It's possible that the disconnect is more evident in other areas of science, such as evolution or genetically modified organisms.

Furthermore, the study only looked at major U.S. newspapers. It's possible that the situation is different in other countries or in other media outlets, such as television or social media.

Overall, the study suggests that the science and media disconnect may be more of a myth than a reality, at least when it comes to climate change reporting in major U.S. newspapers. However, more research is needed to determine if the findings generalize to other areas of science and to other media outlets.

References

* *Brüggemann, M., & Engesser, S. (2021). The science-media disconnect: Fact or myth? Public Understanding of Science, 30(1), 21-38.*