Processes of science in journalism training: the working of a teaching unit

Author(s)

Ricardo Henrique Almeida Dias

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Educação
• Defense date: 2015-02-25

Examining board members

Maria José Pereira Monteiro de Almeida; Claudio Bertolli Filho; Marcia Reami Pechula; Carolina Rodríguez Alcalá; Antonio Carlos Rodrigues de Amorim

• Advisor: Maria José Pereira Monteiro de Almeida

Abstract

Science journalism, as currently practiced in Brazil, is concerned almost exclusively with the results of science. The historical, social, political and economic processes in which science is involved are often forgotten by the media. The methodology and errors in the process are also left out when journalists encounter with what they consider an event worthy of receiving a journalistic treatment. Public who has access to this kind of journalism can only see the "tip of the iceberg" of scientific practice. With this issue, I have chosen to work in a undergraduate journalism course as a suitable place to work with a possible solution to minimize this problem. So I aimed to understand how a teaching unit composed with theoretical and practical aspects of science journalism with processes of science worked among journalism students. The teaching unit was divided into five areas: introductory aspects of journalism and science journalism; philosophy and epistemology of science and its relationship with science journalism; research on science journalism; narrative journalism and science journalism; and production in science journalism. In all of these areas I worked with the processes of science, especially in the journalism approach as narrative expression of contemporaneity, a notion that I considered propitious for understanding the importance of bringing the processes of science to science journalism. The discourse analysis was mobilized to understand how the students produced meanings with regard to teaching unit. Students were able to make some satisfactory relationships between relevance in approaching the processes of science, noted the problem in covering only the results and suggest how the narrative journalism could create conditions for coverage of the processes of science, listing several consequences that the narrative could offer to journalism, such as calling the attention of readers, demystify science and facilitate the understanding of science to a wide audience. The reports produced by the students were beyond merely set out the results of science and brought historical, social, economic and conceptual aspects that are involved in these results. This was possible with the use of narrative elements such as the use of phrases denoting temporality and rupture, change of scenery and use of characters. This allows me to reinforce the thesis that work with narrative journalism opens the possibility to approach the processes of science in science journalism (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/05595-4 - Processes of science in journalism training: the working of a teaching unit
• Grantee: Ricardo Henrique Almeida Dias
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate