Science in mainstream media: Understanding how science gets lost in translation

Abstract

The relationship between scientific research and mainstream media significantly influences the public understanding of science. Yet we observe fundamental tensions between journalistic imperatives and scientific methodology. News coverage doesn’t follow the same patterns as academic communication norms. As they become news stories, peer-reviewed publications undergo systematic transformation: selection, simplification, and narrative construction. This process often favors attention-grabbing discoveries and over simplification over methodological nuance. The digital era has introduced new challenges to this relationship. We’re seeing more “clickbait,” exaggerated claims, and lower-quality reporting as media companies compete for attention. The rarefaction of specialized science journalists has given the responsibility to generalist reporters to cover complex scientific topics, while news outlets push for quick stories that will engage the audience, which often clashes with the inherent complexity of scientific research. This presentation examines how mainstream media processes scientific information and explores how the constraints of journalism affect the science news we consume.