Science Media Centre

The Science Media Centre is an organisation which formed following to the United Kingdom House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology's third report on "Science and Society" in 2000. This report stated that while science was generally reported accurately in the mass media, there was a need for the promotion of more expert information at times when science is under attack in the headlines. In order to promote more informed science in the media, the Centre's main function is as a service to journalists, providing background briefings on current scientific issues and facilitating interviews with scientists. Its director is Fiona Fox.

The SMC's stated aim is to "facilitate more scientists to engage with the media, in the hope that the public will have improved access to accurate, evidence-based scientific information about the stories of the day".

The setting up of the Science Media Centre was assisted by Susan Greenfield, the director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. While the Centre is still based in a specially refurbished wing of the Royal Institution, full independence is claimed from all funders and supporters.

During Professor Greenfield's term as "Thinker in Residence" in Australia, a new Science Media Centre was set up in Adelaide, Australia in August 2005.

Funding

The Science Media Centre is funded by over 60 organisations, with individual donations capped at £12,500 per annum. The SMC receives sponsorship from a range of funders including media organisations, universities, scientific and learned societies, the UK Research Councils, government bodies, Quangos, charities, private donors and corporate bodies. For an up-to-date list of funders, see [http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/funding.htm] .

Controversy over links with "Living Marxism" and the Revolutionary Communist Party

Director Fiona Fox is a former member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, a former contributor to its magazine "Living Marxism" and a current contributor to "Spiked", a website set up by former members of the RCP. Her qualifications to lead the Science Media Centre have been challenged as she has no scientific qualifications and comes from an extreme ideological background. [ [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/peter_melchett/2007/04/farming_for_the_future.html Comment is free: Clear intentions ] ] , [ [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fiona_Fox Fiona Fox - SourceWatch ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/ Science Media Centre]
* [http://www.aussmc.org.au/ Australian SMC]
* [http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/downloads/nature_01-09-05.pdf "Nature" editorial on Science Media Centre, September 1 2005]
* [http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2006/March/Editorial.asp Royal Society of Chemistry "Chemistry World" editorial on Science Media Centre, March 2006]
* [http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/whattheysay.htm "What They Say" about the Science Media Centre from journalists, scientists and press officers]
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Science_Media_Centre SourceWatch profile of Science Media Centre]
* [http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2003/12/09/invasion-of-the-entryists/ George Monbiot on Science Media Centre]
* Robin McKie, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,726475,00.html Lobby group 'led GM thriller critics'] , The Guardian, June 2 2002