Science journalism in the age of crowd
In the current issue of the Journal of Science Communication (JCOM), a set of interviews tackles the transformation of the ecosystem of scientific information caused by the emergence of collaborative Web. Science journalism in the age of crowd, edited by Filippo Bonaventura, deals with the new concept of public, the new ways in which citizens produce and manage scientific information, and the changing role of professional journalism.
JCOM published three interviews of authors expert in communication and media on different fields strongly influenced by participatory communication practices: Anabela Carvalho on global warming and climate change, Pieter Maeseele on technological risks and Denise Silber on eHealth and Health 2.0.
The focus is on active public participation in the practices of information production and sharing, and on the way in which scientific knowledge is reconstructed and negotiated in the Web 2.0 arena. The re-distribution of social power by means of Web 2.0 is a key issue, and new sensible communication practices and professionals are needed in order to maintain the democratic function of journalism.
