The ethics of science journalism in medicine: a science and technology studies approach

Abstract

Reexamining science journalism through the constructivist lens of Science and Technology Studies (STS), the present paper argues that this perspective promotes a more responsible approach to reporting scientific discoveries in medicine. The dominant anti-constructivist, realist approach often results in what we term "dramatic modalization," which attributes greater facticity and universality to scientific findings than they actually possess at the time of publication, leading to significant moral consequences.

To illustrate this, we will first explore the STS perspective as a framework for understanding the construction of facts in practice. Next, through a discourse analysis of two historical cases in medical journalism—the MMR-autism link and the depression-serotonin connection—we will demonstrate that the realist media coverage of these cases engaged in dramatic modalization, resulting in tangible moral repercussions. We hereby propose an alternative STS model for science journalism in medicine, arguing that it offers a more morally responsible approach.