The Dawn of a New Age for Sci/Tech Reporting

You may have noticed the increased chatter about the quality of sci/tech reporting in recent years. I know I have.

In this age of incredible technological advancements and scientific discovery, it can often be very hard for reporters to root out what is important and what isn’t. Also, with the increasing reach of online media, there’s a massive opportunity for media outlets to communicate science through good science journalism. This is essential, as pseudo-science and bad science reporting is often being communicated faster. Unfortunately, with the continuing cutbacks being made by traditional media sources of their science coverage, disinformation is finding an unprecedented foothold in popular culture, culminating in irrational fears of scientific achievement and scaremongering hype.

But this has created an unprecedented opportunity for a small band of professional correspondents, editors, producers and publishers known as Discovery News.

For the last 11 years, Discovery News has been working hard to report on advancing sci/tech trends as the news body of the Discovery Channel. On Sunday, Discovery News came of age; it was re-launched and re-branded with a new design and URL.

At a time where cutbacks are becoming the norm, it might seem strange to see a new sci/tech news resource appear on the Internet, but we have identified a gap in reporting that needs to be filled urgently. What makes us even more special is the fact we are coming from a TV-based network (rather than the bedraggled press-based news), so we already know how to “do” online media through a variety of platforms.

On the new-look Discovery News, you’ll find the main 3 Discovery topic hubs (Space, Earth and Tech) combined seamlessly with news across 8 key topic areas (from Dinosaurs to History). We have combined the skills of dozens of correspondents, media experts and scientists to ensure that we have an unparalleled coverage of breaking news as well as in-depth analysis. We are also addressing the need for a massive reader-based interaction by incorporating reader comments and connecting with the rapidly growing population of social media users. The site is personality-driven so our readers can interact directly with the people who are producing the news at ground level.

But the best thing is that all of our producers and contributors are professionals in the fields they are reporting on, ensuring a high level of journalistic integrity and knowledgeable opinion.

All in all, this is the most exciting project I have ever been involved with, and I hope you will all join me over on Discovery News to embark on this voyage of discovery.

Now that we have launched, I now have a bit more time to do some more Astroengine posts!