Study finds a lower accuracy and higher error rate for science news coverage than for earlier studies of regular news coverage. (RB)

The number of errors found in coverage of social issues was greater than that for general coverage and comparable to that for science coverage. (KS)

Describes a method for determining the accuracy of science news coverage. (RB)

An effort was made in this study to determine whether the absence or presence of news film in a television news segment influences a believability or preference judgment made by a respondent when comparing a television report directly with a newspaper report of the same event. One hundred eight students at Temple University viewed one of two…

Newspapers devoted 8.8 percent of their space to coverage of social issues; most stories were written by staff members and oriented to issues rather than events. (KS)

Finds that newspapers are more credible than television in some aspects of reporting such as public affairs while television is believed more accurate in news of student protest. (RB)

Reports the results of a survey of 122 science journalists and 110 scientists regarding their attitudes toward science news coverage; notes that the attitudes of the two groups were remarkably similar. (GT)