Scientific journalism and health: considerations about visibility, publicization and access

Abstract

Comunicación oral presentada en la Segunda Conferencia Internacional de Comunicación en Salud, celebrada el 23 de octubre de 2015 en la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid ; Considering scientific journalism in the Brazilian context as a reference, this work intends to question the hegemonic concepts, structures and practices of visibility of Science and Technology (S&T) in the Health field. In an exploratory study based on literature review, we discussed central concepts as health, S&T, scientific communication, scientific publication, publicization, visibility, access and use of information. The discussion focuses the conceptual tension regarding the actors involved with their interests, strategies and logics. In addition to the usual issues related to the conflicts between journalists and researchers, speeches and languages, a number of other ones was identified, including: the advertising and marketing actions and strategies of pharmaceutical and other industries; the press, sponsorship and paid editorial content interfering on the media despite the journalistic and social merit; the 'war strategy' in the dissemination of S&T focusing the specialized media and editorials at the expense of 'guerrilla'; personal and individual interests of researchers, journalists and health professionals spokespersons of organizations; the roles assumed and non-assumed by the government, private sector and civil society. Behind such questions, a conceptual and ideological framework seems to outline the need to deepen a critical analysis perspective considering scientific journalism in a social, cultural, political, economic and ideological view. A context where power, ethics, logic and interests should guide the thinking about the publicization, 'How to make visible?'; visibility 'What does 'visible' mean?'; and access, 'Who accesses what, indeed?'.