Different drums: contrasts between scientific communication and journalism

The qualities which symbolize excellence in a scientific paper contrast in many respects with those that characterize excellent journalism. In part, this dichotomy arises because significant science, based on careful assessment of uncertainties and possible errors as well as prior results, intrinsically lacks qualities that provide journalistic interest. In addition, journalism and scientific communication follow widely divergent traditions which value differing skills. We document these divergent values through the results of a survey and a focus group interview with journalism and physics educators, editors and research physicists