The public right to know about science

Abstract

Journalism and science are two vocational occupations with roots deep in the momentous developments that ushered in the modern era (eg, Reformation, Enlightenment, democracy and the nation state). While science arises from the former, professional journalists remain committed to their role as the 'watchdogs' of democracy. While this has normally meant scrutiny of the acts of public figures like politicians and entrepreneurs, increasingly in late modernity attention has been turned to science and its potential for harm (eg, nuclear technlogy, genetic manipluation, etc.).