image: Practical guide cover page
Credit: BNSJ
The Balkan Network of Science Journalists and the European Federation for Science Journalism are proud to present “A Tudományos Újságírás Alapjai” (The Basics of Science Journalism), a new guide in Hungarian that delves into the challenges, methodologies, and best practices of science journalism in Hungary.
The guide offers an introduction to the fundamentals of science journalism with an array of practical advice including the differences between text, radio, and video work.
It was written by Nikoletta Nagy, a science journalist at Telex.hu and István Palugyai, a veteran science journalist, with editorial oversight by Kata Karáth, a freelance science journalist, and Mićo Tatalović, science journalist and news editor.
“This guide is one of a series of carefully curated guides on science journalism in South-East Europe,” says Tatalović.
“They are written by experienced local science journalists in their own language, combining their specific skills and experiences with best international practice, to make the guides as relevant and useful to students and journalists working in those countries.”
The full guide is available on the BNSJ and EFSJ websites. Publication of the guide was made possible through the support of EurekAlert!, a science news release platform operated by the non-profit American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Science journalism guides in Croatian and Slovenian were published as part of the same initiative last year, which also supports in-person seminars for science journalists in the region. This year, similar guides will be published in Albanian and Romanian, with further ones planned in Greek and Turkish for next year.
The Hungarian guide provides a brief overview of the basics of science journalism for both novice and experienced science journalists, aiming to support them in responsible and credible science reporting.
István Palugyai, honorary president of the Hungarian Club of Science Journalists describes the new guide as “very good and hopefully useful” while noting a dearth of such guides in Hungarian.
Nikoletta Nagy, a science journalist at Telex.hu and the main author of the guide, emphasizes the challenges of science journalism, including the fight against pseudoscience and the importance of fact-checking.
“The goal of science journalism is not only to communicate scientific results but to present them in an understandable and credible way to the general public. This is especially important in today’s age of information overload, where misinformation is easily accessible” she says, adding that adaptability and awareness of audience needs are also essential.
“For a science journalist, curiosity and continuous learning are essential, as with each article, they must become a bit of a biologist, an astronomer, a physicist, or a chemist.”
“EurekAlert! is proud to support this project, the preceding guides in Croatian and Slovenian, and in-person seminars in these countries,” said Brian Lin, Director of Editorial Content Strategy at EurekAlert!. “We are especially encouraged to see the attention paid to journalistic integrity and diversity, equity and inclusion in science journalism in the local context.”
Practical tips and topics featured in the guide include:
- Choosing Reliable Sources: The guide highlights the importance of finding trustworthy sources. Journalists should thoroughly check the background of their sources, including conflict-of-interest disclosures and funding origins.
- Avoiding False Balance: Journalists should not create the impression that scientific consensus is always debatable and they must be cautious not to give equal weight to marginal views that do not reflect the broader scientific community’s stance.
- Preparing for Interviews: Science journalists need to prepare even more thoroughly for interviews than others, they must be familiar with their interviewees’ work and the ins and outs of the relevant scientific field.
- Fact-Checking: The guide discusses the critical importance of fact-checking in science journalism, especially crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic, which underscored the dangers of pseudoscience and misinformation.