Science journalist emphasizes simplification of jargons in news
Teresa Firmino, science journalist
A Portuguese science journalist admitted that the most challenging part of the job is to simplify science jargons to commoner language that most people can understand.
The University of Saint Joseph has recently invited Teresa Firmino, science journalist at Portuguese newspaper Público in Portugal. She holds a Master’s degree in mass media communication and has studied science journalism at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA.
Her comment was made in response to a question raised by the Times, about how science jargons can be presented in a sensible manner to common readers who may not be amply trained to understand certain top scientific concepts, such as quantum physics, geology and astronomy.
To which, she said that in many circumstances, jargons have to be used and must be retained, for the fact that it is the essence of the concept, hinting that other lexicons will not convey a meaning as accurate.
“However, jargons must be decoded,” she said. Her suggestion is that jargons must be explained, but the interpretation of them must be accurate to avoid misunderstanding.
On the question if science journalists should study science in tertiary education institutions to perform better in the jobs, Firmino admitted that having formal education in the discipline is best. However, at the end of the day, after writing so many articles and talking to so many people, a science journalist will be able to understand a lot more on the topic than on the first day.
Related to this, the journalist emphasized that whatever being included in an article must be first understood by the writer. Should there be any confusion or illiteracy, the part of the information should either be discarded, or a professional explanations be sought.
Furthermore, she highlighted that after all, science journalists are journalists rather than scientists. They are usually more concerned with and more proficient in news or article writing, in contrast to experimenting in the laboratory.
With that said, the accuracy of science news stories or feature articles must be prioritized and is prominent.
While speaking to an audience over the Internet, she disclosed that she would not allow her interviewees or sources to view the article before being published because it either constitute to or invite self-censorship. She admitted that sometimes scientists do prefer a tone of writing to another, but this is within the authority of the writer. The goal is to present facts.
She also reminded that slimming processes are necessary for many details included in a research may not be understandable or appealing to laypeople.
