Author: TV does injustice to science
Media Mediocrity–Waging War Against Science
How the Television Makes Us Stoopid!
It is often said you shouldn’t believe everything you see on television, and with good reason.
“Everybody thinks television is benign, it is an entertainment source, it is one of those things that doesn’t have much of an effect on society,” says Richard Zurawski, the noted meteorologist and media personality. “What I want people to realize is that television is the most influential medium we’ve ever had.”
Zurawski is the author of Media Mediocrity: Waging War Against Science, a fascinating new book which looks at the negative effects television has on people’s understanding of science.
“If you think you’re getting … good information from television, to quote NBC: You’re dreaming in technicolour,” says Zurawski.
He says this problem is further compounded by the fact most journalists don’t have backgrounds in science.
“Today, we have very serious science issues all over the place and nobody that’s reporting this stuff on television really understands it,” says Zurawski.
The inspiration for the book came from his realization that most people get their science information from television. To many, Zurawski is best known for his work on Wonder Why?, a television science show that ran in the early 1990s.
“We’re not much of a reading society anymore,” notes Zurawski.
As a broadcaster, Zurawski is well known for his ability to communicate complex ideas in an easy to understand manner. Media Mediocrity isn’t any different and it is one of the things that should make this book mandatory reading material for students (and adults alike).
–Richard Woodbury is a writer and editor from Halifax.
–Chronicle Hearld, May 1 2011