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Science and technology reporting could include news about:
parliamentary activities such as bills, laws, deliberations, sub-committees and public hearing on science and technology matters
science workers/teachers, their associations, unions, or groups, e.g. Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN)
science and technology businesses (including sale of science and technology equipment at small and large scale levels, local and international levels etc)
science and technology beat reporters and their association
science and technology-based NGOs, CBOs, and faith-based organistions. This includes news about science and technology-activities that are related to science matters. For instance, an environmental NGO could organize a protest against the sighting of a nuclear technology plant in a residential area
workshops, seminars, and conferences in science and technology
science and technology fraud, crime, impersonation, copyright etc
special days on science and technology issues, topics, events, etc, examples include World Health Day, World AIDS Day, and Science Teachers’ Day, etc. such special days are likely to yield science and technology stories.
3.2 Importance of Science and Technology Reporting in the
139 Nowadays, we hear the United States, Israel and the United Nations mount pressure on Iran and North Korea to halt their plan to acquire nuclear weapons. Although these stories are awash in the media, but many people do not even know what the Uranium Iran is accused of is all about. It is thus left for the media to explain to the people that Uranium is a substance used in developing nuclear weapons, and that nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction or weapons capable of destroying many or even wiping out the entire human race.
Such explanations are important because many people do not know what such technologies are and the reasons why it is detrimental to the world if Iran and South Korea succeed. This goes to show that science and technology is still an area where many members of the society are show enormous ignorance. This is incumbent on the media because they are the information purveyors in the society, and as such, they are expected to play the watchdog role of providing information, education, entertainment, etc, to the people, not only on political issues, economy, sports, etc, but indeed in every aspect of the human life, including in the new developments in science and technology.
To do this and do it efficiently and effectively require requires that science and technology reporting should be treated as a separate genre in journalism. This is in view of the peculiar technicalities involved in reporting science and technology.
Sometimes, the technicalities and complexities involved in science and technology reporting make it necessary that media houses employ services of scientists to cover specific areas in science after which the scientists give such reports the journalist who then give it the journalistic angle. Nwabueze (2011) drives this home when he observed that:
the essence of this is because a journalists does not have to be a scientists, neither does he have to read engineering to become a successful science and technology reporter, and that all a journalists needs is to master the art of applying journalistic principles in reporting about science and technology. He also needs to go some extra miles if he is to become a successful specialist in this field. He must develop special interest in reading and understanding issues and happenings in science and technology.
Specifically, science and technology reporting plays the following important roles in the society.
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It facilitates socio-economic development: This means that through science and technology reporting, people consciousness is awakened and their attention is drawn to science and technology issues that could contribute directly or indirectly towards social, economic and national development in general’
Through science and technology enlightenments, the public become aware of trends in scientific and technological innovations and breakthroughs, including how these could be applied in enhancing various aspects of life and the society in general
It bridges the gap between science and society: By this, we mean that through science and technology news reports, feature articles, news analysis, editorial comments and columns on science and technology issues people are brought closer to the society. By this, they get to know what otherwise would not have known as it pertains science and technology
It safeguards society from impending dangers: This means that through science and technology reporting, society get to know vital information that safeguards them from certain dangers e.g. dangers of smoking, drug abuse, STIs such as HIV-AIDS, Lassa fever, under- age marriages, etc. They also highlight the benefits of certain virtues like exclusive breast feeding, personal hygiene, dieting, report on how to avoid certain sicknesses like cancer-prone activities, reports on the negative impact of certain technologies, etc.
Promotes education: Science and technology reporting promotes education, especially science and technology education issues
Facilitates the growth of local technology: Through media reports get motivated towards the growth and development of science and technology such as fabricating their own tools, preservation facilities for post-harvest storage, manufactured their own herbal drugs, adopted fallow method of farming for sustainable soil management, etc, and the media have continued to play vital role in the entire process
Science and technology reporting play Advocacy role:
Through science and technology reporting government attention is drawn to scientific and technological issues that require attention. This is done through constant reports, editorials, commentaries, features, documentaries, special reports and analysis, etc.
4.0 CONCLUSION
141 In this section, we have noted that the continuous breakthroughs and increasing relevance of science and technologies in the world today has made science and technology reporting one of the specialised areas of the journalism profession. We explained the meaning of science and technology as well as their importance.
5.0 SUMMARY
We defined science and technology reporting as the reportage of breakthroughs in the field of science and technology as well as their unfolding implications on the lives of the public. Such breakthrough could be new inventions or new discoveries, new uses of/improvements on existing inventions. We also enumerated some of the importance of science and technology reporting to include: it facilitates socio-economic development, bridges the gap between science and society, safeguards society from impending dangers, promotes education, facilitates the growth of local technology and plays advocacy roles, among others.