Oxytropidoceras Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 Below is an interesting discussion about how news reporters choose the science stories and research that they write about. They confess to liking dinosaurs as a favorite topic. When Is Science Newsworthy? American Geophysical Union (AGU) Published on May 21, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1KnJXJZGpw Two papers mentioned in this discussion are: Sumner, P., Vivian-Griffiths, S., Boivin, J., Williams, A., Bott, L., Adams, R., Venetis, C.A., Whelan, L., Hughes, B. and Chambers, C.D., 2016. Exaggerations and caveats in press releases and health-related science news. PloS one, 11(12), p.e0168217. Abstract - http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0168217 PDF file - https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/562a/1075e1a0f4d6476ad80bee0a047cdb9fbd57.pdf https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/74224673.pdf Yours, Paul H. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 So even for science news, it has to elicit awe, anxiety, amusement, or anger in order to be considered news worthy...... Hmmmm. Everything that is wrong with the news summed up in one sound bite. I like it. It is more eloquent than my take on news that if it bleeds, it leads. The four "a's" the speaker is talking about are nothing more than code for sensationalism. I don't necessarily blame the reporters. I know enough about journalism to know that the editors and publishers control the content. And from their perspective, it is all about ad dollars and readership. Yes, they have a business to run. But the public is interested in more than constant articles about Yellowstone erupting. They could do better. 2 Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 But people would rather read about dinosaurs, it's supply and demand. It's the same on this very Forum, a thread with "Dinosaur " in the title will automatically garner more views and more informative posts than a post about, let's say bryozoans. There is a descending order of popularity, through dinosaurs to shark's teeth and trilobites, down to ammonites and coprolites, and all the way through to sponges, corals, and bryozoa at the bottom. Not complaining, it's just the way it is. 4 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 Bryozoa just aren't as warm and fuzzy as Trilobites Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Ammonite Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said: There is a descending order of popularity, through dinosaurs to shark's teeth and trilobites, down to ammonites and all the way through to sponges, corals, and bryozoa at the bottom. Bryozoa are not on the bottom of popularity here at TFF compared to ostrocods and forams. Near the bottom are probably individual strands of fossilized bacteria, however, trace fossils of colonies of bacteria (stromatolites) are much more popular. My favorite source for science related news that is more satifying than the news on the more popular news sites is Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/ 1 My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned. See my Arizona Paleontology Guide link The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 yeah, where’s my ostracod and bryozoan news! “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said: dinosaurs to shark's teeth and trilobites, down to ammonites and all the way through to sponges, corals, and bryozoa at the bottom Adam, quick, edit your post and put coprolite in the middle somewhere.....or we've all had it! 1 Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 6 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said: Bryozoa are not on the bottom of popularity here at TFF compared to ostrocods and forams. Near the bottom are probably individual strands of fossilized bacteria, however, trace fossils of colonies of bacteria (stromatolites) are much more popular. My favorite source for science related news that is more satifying than the news on the more popular news sites is Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/ Thanks. But I've seen very positive responses to amazing threads showing pictures of microfossils, some incredible photographs that get lots of responses, likewise some stromatolites will attract interest because of their incredible age. (the Precambrian ones.) But I get your drift, my list isn't complete, it's just to give the general idea that there is a scale of popularity with certain things at the top, others in the middle, and some that no one much will read. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 2 minutes ago, Walt said: Adam, quick, edit your post and put coprolite in the middle somewhere.....or we've all had it! Done! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 I will say that my appreciation for the lesser known and respected fossils has increased 1000 fold since I joined the forum, @Tidgy's Dad. There is nothing like an enthused collectors such as yourself to make those collections exciting and interesting. 1 Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Walt said: I will say that my appreciation for the lesser known and respected fossils has increased 1000 fold since I joined the forum, @Tidgy's Dad. There is nothing like an enthused collectors such as yourself to make those collections exciting and interesting. Why, thank you kind sir! More corals to follow in Adam's Silurian over the next few days. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 A "news" example that is so badly written it is funny. Granted the reporter is probably not a science reporter, but still.... http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/05/03/tennessee-girl-11-finds-475-million-year-old-trilobite-fossil.html To see how the above article morphed as it was picked up from media to media, google "trilobite found in Tennessee" Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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