John Baker
Astronomy 100
College of San Mateo
May 19, 2000

Reporting The Skies:
Astronomy and Journalism

Despite a reduced lack of interest in astronomy as compared to that in the heady days of Cold War space exploration, today's readers still hold a high regard for the science, say science writers and at least one famous astronomer. In fact, even the failures of the space program and everyday astronomical events can spur enthusiasm for astronomy, according to some journalists

Spurred on by recent astronomical phenomena such as Comet Hale-Bopp, the discovery of new planets and enticing images from the Hubble Space Telescope, some readers tend to enjoy reading about astronomy with perhaps more interest than any other science.

"I would rate the public's knowledge of astronomy as moderate, which is very high compared to the other sciences," said Lee Dye, a science columnist with ABCNews.com and the Los Angeles Times. "There seems to be more fascination with astronomy that most other fields, partly because of the enormous coverage of the space program and partly, I suspect, because it's one of the few sciences that anyone can practice in their back yard."

But fascination is not the same as true knowledge, according to San Francisco Chronicle science writer David Perlman, who argued that the public's overall knowledge of true astronomy is "woefully low."

"Just think of how many people believe in astrology (or) UFOs, and recall that Senator Bryan of Nevada killed a modest NASA budget item ($14 million) for SETI on the grounds that the government wants to go looking for 'little green men,'" said Perlman, whose writing career has spanned almost 60 years.

Even those who publish specialized astronomy magazines differ on their opinions of the public's knowledge. Dave Eicher, managing editor of Astronomy magazine, said the general public's knowledge seemed relatively low, while to Jill Donohue, editorial assistant at the competing Sky & Telescope magazine, public comprehension was "somewhere in between" low and high.

"It's hard to generalize that sort of thing," Donohue said. "There are so many people involved in the hobby, then there are those who only hear what's on the news. For those, I'd say it's low."

But scientists can feel the excitement when a particular astronomy story has touched a nerve. Discoveries that affect the public mindset, especially those raising the possibility of extraterrestrial life, seem to tickle the public's ­ and the media's ­ fancy, according to scientists. Astronomer Geoff Marcy, who has seen his own recognition rise after about 30 extra-solar planets were discovered using his technique which measures a companion body's gravitational pull on a parent star, said news reports of his discoveries were met enthusiastically by the public.

"I think the public is generally quite knowledgeable (about astronomy)," Marcy said. "People often come up to me and, when they learn that I discover planets, they often say, 'Oh, you use the wobble of the star due to the gravity of the planet, or something, right?'"

Raising readers' interest in astronomy

Difficulties in raising public enthusiasm for astronomy often come from the educational system, said some writers.

"The problem isn't a lack of interest, it's a lack of adequate teaching, especially in the schools," Dye said. "It's hard to believe it, but some teachers can actually make it boring."

Providing students a first-hand opportunity to see the wonders of the sky would be a reasonable step, according to Marcy.

"I think the best thing schools can do is to hold telescope session open to students and to have articulate people-friendly astronomers help out at such session, giving short lectures to explain what everyone sees in the telescope," said the San Francisco State professor, who has done just that.

Eicher agreed.

"What typically gets the public's attention are releases of material from the Hubble Space Telescope, bright comets or other unusual sky events, or planetary missions," he said. "Schools can conduct observing sessions or other events which offer the public a chance to look through telescopes."

The best ally for those hoping to increase interest in astronomy, according to Donohue, are space events themselves. Interest rises when there is a definite "event" to cover, she said.

"Every time something happens, like a meteor shower, an eclipse, or John Glenn going back to space, people start getting interested in astronomy," said Donohue. "I'd say that if 100 people start reading our magazine or visiting our site when something like this happens, 50 bookmark the site, 30 of those subscribe to the magazine, and the rest forget about it until the next event. What can we do? Keep reminding the public that there is always something going on. Most newspapers have a science section once a week, most schools require a science course, after that it's a personal matter of interest."

Perlman also supports giving "hype" to the flashier astronomical events as a way of increasing interest in the science as a whole.

"(There should be) More frequent front-page coverage of astronomical events which enthrall even the UFO folks," he said. "Comets, the crash of Shoemaker-Levy into Jupiter, the discovery of extra-solar planets, the success of Mars Pathfinder, and even the failure of the most recent Mars lander, which should tell lay folks that all efforts to examine distant objects ­ from Mars to pulsars ­ don't invariably end in success."

How to write astronomy articles for the novice reader

The old adage of making articles "clear and concise" applies to astronomy writing, just like in any other topic, said Dye, who considers the story a failure if his daughters can't under stand it.

"You assume the person has an interest in the subject, or he/she wouldn't be reading it," Dye said. "But every piece has to be written so that people with very little understanding of the field can follow it. It's nice when scientists also acknowledge something you've written, but they are not the primary audience, at least for people like me, who work in the mass media."

Eicher's goal is to have Astronomy articles written plainly, "just as you would talk to someone, and to explain ideas to an intelligent audience that has an interest but not an advanced education in the subject."

"We prepare a spectrum of articles, some of which are aimed at complete novices and others at people who are intermediates who have been involved with astronomy as a hobby for years," Eicher said.

Sky & Telescope tacks a similar path, according to Donohue.

"We write with the expectation that our reader is bringing a certain body of knowledge to the issue," she said. "We try to explain out the more advanced terms for the beginners that are reading, without making it boring for those with more experience We acknowledge things that may be unfamiliar to some readers, without watering down the article."

Perlman said his stories in the Chronicle are "aimed at intelligent people who have little or no background in the science I'm writing about, but whose curiosity and interest ­ and sometimes even awe ­ can be stimulated by present fresh and exciting information."

His said his first goal is accuracy, then an effort to lure readers into the tent and keeping them there by colorful writing that "doesn't do violence to the data," and ­ of course ­ "good graphics that often explain things better than even the most deathless prose."

The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) suggests "humanizing" science, perhaps including writing profiles of scientists, as a way of raising reader interest in the sciences. According to a statement from the NASW, humanizing science helps involve laypeople in science and technology. Also, such human-interest stories make science and technology more accessible to young people who might be interested in scientific careers.

"Some scientists question the 'popularization' not of research, but of the people who do the research," the association remarks on its website. "It is not necessarily undignified to describe a researcher's hobbies, family, or extracurricular interests, or viewpoints on human affairs. Reported accurately and in good taste, such matters add dimension and perspective to a scientist's work."

Scientists appreciate the effort of science writers such as Perlman.

"Astronomy gets fantastic attention, probably because the public loves the profound questions that astronomy answers," Marcy said. "I think the news media has done an excellent job of conveying the results and the significance of the results."

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E-mail John Baker at: jcb10@axe.humboldt.edu, or visit his website at www.humboldt.edu/~jcb10