IsisCB Explore

Thesis ID: CBB001567445

Science Service and the Origins of Science Journalism, 1919--1950 (2013)

Iowa State University
Bix, Amy Sue
Wilson, David B.
Andrews, James T.
Wilson, David B.
Dobbs, Charles
Riney-Kehrberg, Pamela
Andrews, James T.
Dobbs, Charles
Riney-Kehrberg, Pamela
Publication date: 2013
Language: English

ISBN: 9781303166433

Publication Date: 2013
Edition Details: Advisor: Bix, Amy Sue; Committee Members: Andrews, James T., Wilson, David B., Dobbs, Charles, Riney-Kehrberg, Pamela.
Physical Details: 485 pp.

Outside Links

Public understanding of science Mass media Journalism Writing World War I 20th century, early Scripps, Edward Willis Ritter, William Emerson

In 1919, just after the end of World War I, Edward W. Scripps and William E. Ritter joined to form a science news organization dedicated to pioneering the dissemination of accurate, accessible, and engaging news of science to the public primarily through the mainstream media. Scripps, a longtime journalist and successful entrepreneur, and Ritter, a respected biologist and teacher, were convinced of the importance of science knowledge to the American public. They also were concerned about limits and abuses under other political systems where science research was abridged or threatened. They sought to create a "scientific habit of mind" among the general public to increase the average person's awareness of the role of science in his or her daily life, to gain support for science research, and to help protect American democracy through an intelligent--meaning science-educated--citizenry. The result of this collaboration was the organization Science Service, established in 1921 for the popularization of science, with the support and participation of the leading science organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Academy of Science, and the National Research Council, as well as leaders of the journalism community. Reaching the public also meant navigating the contentious relationship between scientists and the press to create new ways of translating science information, and overcoming scientists' reticence about sharing their research interests with the lay public. Additionally, Science Service weighed capturing the public's attention through enticing but only fact-tinged stories, versus adhering to higher scientific and journalistic standards of fact-based but less sensational articles. Through the post-war twenties, the Depression thirties, and the war-plagued forties, Science Service forged relationships with scientists, the press, political figures, government agencies and offices, and the general public that continue in the 21 st century. Science Service made the first sustained effort at gathering and disseminating consistently credible, engaging, and understandable news of science and emerging technologies to a nationwide audience through the easily accessible mainstream media. This emerging field of "science journalism" sought to create a science-minded public able to appreciate, and willing to support, science and science research. The organization expanded the science news climate by creating a forum for science dialogue among scientists, journalists, and the public--a dialogue that continues today.

...More

Description Cited in Dissertation Abstracts International-A 74/10(E), Apr 2014. Proquest Document ID: 1416406063.

Citation URI

data.isiscb.org/p/isis/citation/CBB001567445

This citation is part of the Isis database.

Citations Indexes

Similar Citations

Book Joshua Nall; (2019)
News from Mars: Mass Media and the Forging of a New Astronomy, 1860-1910 (/p/isis/citation/CBB549536322/)

Article González-Silva, Matiana; Herran, Néstor; (2009)
Ideology, Elitism and Social Commitment: Alternative Images of Science in Two fin de siècle Barcelona Newspapers (/p/isis/citation/CBB000932326/)

Article Mergoupi-Savaidou, Eirini; Papanelopoulou, Faidra; Tzokas, Spyros; (2009)
The Public Image(s) of Science and Technology in the Greek Daily Press, 1908--1910 (/p/isis/citation/CBB000932327/)

Article Andersen, Casper; Hjermitslev, Hans H.; (2009)
Directing Public Interest: Danish Newspaper Science 1900--1903 (/p/isis/citation/CBB000932328/)

Book Price, Katy; (2012)
Loving Faster Than Light: Romance and Readers in Einstein's Universe (/p/isis/citation/CBB001250414/)

Article Schirrmacher, Arne; (2012)
Popular Science between News and Education: A European Perspective (/p/isis/citation/CBB001220442/)

Article Dennis, Paul M.; (2011)
Press Coverage of the New Psychology by the New York Times during the Progressive Era (/p/isis/citation/CBB001033716/)

Article Fengler, Silke; Krebs, Stefan; (2005)
In Celluloidgewittern---Die mediale Konstruktion von Wissenschaft und Technik als Paradigma des Ersten Weltkrieges (/p/isis/citation/CBB000831004/)

Article Nielsen, Kristian H.; Autzen, Charlotte; (2011)
Looking Over the Shoulders of Researchers: In Quest of a Research-Media Partnership and Online, News Media--Based Researcher Identities on the Galathea 3 Expedition From 2006 to 2007 (/p/isis/citation/CBB001320109/)

Book Kiernan, Vincent; (2006)
Embargoed Science (/p/isis/citation/CBB000930980/)

Article Maddalena Cataldi; (2016)
Inventing the Menton Man. Rivière's Discovery as Reflected in the French Media (/p/isis/citation/CBB346994538/)

Article Boyd, Amanda D.; Paveglio, Travis B.; (2014)
Front Page or “Buried” beneath the Fold? Media Coverage of Carbon Capture and Storage (/p/isis/citation/CBB001420073/)

Book Fletcher, Ronald; (1991)
Science, Ideology, and the Media: The Cyril Burt Scandal (/p/isis/citation/CBB001422097/)

Article Nielsen, Kristian Hvidtfelt; (2009)
In Quest of Publicity: The Science-Media Partnership of the Galathea Deep Sea Expedition from 1950 to 1952 (/p/isis/citation/CBB000932281/)

Article Papanelopoulou, Faidra; Kjærgaard, Peter C.; (2009)
Making the Paper: Science and Technology in Spanish, Greek and Danish Newspapers around 1900 (/p/isis/citation/CBB000932325/)

Book Quirke, Carol; (2012)
Eyes on Labor: News Photography and America's Working Class (/p/isis/citation/CBB001550272/)

Article Siotto, Andrea; (August 2016)
Image at War: Military Technology in the Illustrated Press of the Great War (/p/isis/citation/CBB023010725/)

Article Krebs, Stefan; Fengler, Silke; (2005)
In celluloidgewittern: Die mediale konstruktion von wissenschaft und technik als paradigma des ersten weltkrieges (/p/isis/citation/CBB001180553/)

Article Ruiz-Castell, Pedro; Suay-Matallana, Ignacio; Bonet Safont, Juan Marcos; (2013)
El cometa de Halley y la imagen pública de la astronomía en la prensa diaria española de principios del siglo XX (/p/isis/citation/CBB001320249/)

Article Laura Valls Plana; (2016)
A Mammoth in the Park: Palaeontology, Press and Popular Culture in Barcelona (1870–1910) (/p/isis/citation/CBB628845058/)