Watchdog science journalism: Crucial yet precarious work, according to study

How do journalists act as watchdogs of science? New qualitative research led by University of Amsterdam media scholar Alice Fleerackers sheds light on the labor-intensive nature of watchdog science journalism, a form of critical journalism that scrutinizes science. It shows that practical feasibility sometimes takes precedence over public interest when deciding whether to run a story, particularly in newsrooms with limited resources. The findings, recently published in Science Communication, underscore the precarity of a form of journalism that is essential for public trust in science yet operates under severe pressure.