Biography:

Elsab Brits is a specialist science journalist of 16 years experience at Die Burger newspaper, South Africas oldest daily Afrikaans newspaper. Recipient of the prestigious national journalism award the Mondi/Shanduka, and the Vodacom award for journalists, amongst others. She covers most academic research fields and current scientific issues. Brits is a member of the South African Association of Science Journalists.

Abstract:

Darwin and the Media

GMOs made the Frankenstein food mistake; stem cell science used the word embryo and the world went crazy leading to myths and misunderstandings that are difficult to disprove. What are the words and graphics evolutionary scholars should or should not use in the popular media? In South Africa evolution was only introduced into the final school year curriculum in 2008 and the general public is not educated in the subject. In fact the general public is fiercely creationistic, mainly due to many evolutionary myths they perceive to be true. Myths, that trained scientists never even think about. These myths need to be debunked one at a time. The key point is proper communication and scientific engagement in the media. This paper, which will be a 15 minute power point presentation, will look at communication mistakes regarding evolution and will give handy tips in the dos and donts of science communication and journalism regarding evolution. The latter differs from regular journalism as it is bias towards that which you can proof with the scientific method i.e. evolution and creationism can not be put forward as equal and opposite truths, because they clearly are not. How do you explain this to a public that want to read about creationism?