The importance of responsible journalism – Interview with Dr. Lisa Auffenberg

8th January 2024 – Group interview with Dr. Lisa Auffenberg

In this interview with Dr. Lisa Auffenberg, a distinguished science journalist and LMU lecturer, we delve into the intricacies of conveying complex scientific topics to the public together with the other emerging trends in journalism. Dr. Auffenberg shares her insights on the challenges and responsibilities of science journalism nowadays. Her perspective on the intersection of psychology, health, and environmental issues offers a glimpse into the landscape of science reporting and the critical role of media literacy in an era of information overload. Unfortunately, we could not interview her directly, but here are her answers to our questions.

1. You are focused on many topics like psychology, health, outdoor activities, etc.
   Which one is your favorite and which one, in your opinion, has the highest public interest?
   
   The most interesting subject area for me is psychology. This is also the field in which there is currently a great deal of public interest and therefore many potential clients. I find the connection between psychology and medicine, i.e. the interplay between body and mind, particularly exciting. The influence of the environment and surroundings on mental well-being is also an area which fascinates me. Unfortunately, writing about psychological topics means spending a lot of time alone at your desk, reading studies and talking to experts on the phone. For this reason, I’m very happy to occasionally write a report about a mountain hut or a hiking tour for which I get to go out and talk to real people.
   
   
2. Writing about science might be difficult sometimes. According to that, how do you approach readers from the language point of view? What is your tactic?
   
   Writing about science means acting as a translator. In the first step, I read studies and specialist books and interview researchers on a topic. Once I have an overview of the most important content, I think about how I can prepare the topic so that it is understandable, informative and easy to read at the same time. A case study often helps, for example quotes from a protagonist who has had exemplary experiences. Sometimes, however, it is also the scientists who bring a topic to life and make it tangible, because they are exciting personalities, passionate about their research or provide great quotes. Overall, it is important to explain technical terms, not to remain too superficial, but also not to go too deep. Most topics need to be simplified and summarized, but this should never be wrong or misleading.
   
   
3. In which of the science fields you write about is, in your opinion, the largest lack of reader’s knowledge that might later lead to misunderstanding of the topic?
   
   I would definitely say the climate crisis. The effects are so dramatic, but many people are still unwilling to deal with the issue. The interrelationships are complex and very difficult to explain. Most people have little prior knowledge and many misconceptions. There is an urgent need for good journalism that makes the topic understandable, explains the dramatic nature of the connections without becoming sensationalist and thus creating reactance. Unfortunately, many media outlets are not doing a good job when it comes to climate reporting.
   
   
4. Some of the subjects you cover are the environment, psychology and mental health. In which ways does climate change affect mental health, especially in case of younger generations?
   
   The effects of climate change on mental health are dramatic. Studies show: The climate crisis is causing additional stress and drastically increasing the population’s overall need for psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment. Feelings such as hopelessness, sadness, guilt, anger, worry, powerlessness, fear and panic in the face of advancing climate change are leading to psychological-psychiatric syndromes not only in people with mental illnesses, but in the population as a whole. Climate anxiety stems from the uncertainty of whether, when and in what way we will be directly affected by the consequences of climate change. Also, rising temperatures, heatwaves and air pollution are associated with a deterioration in mental health and increased suicidal tendencies. Natural disasters such as floods, fires and storms threaten physical integrity and can cause post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental illnesses in those affected.
   
   
5. Since a lot of information can be easily found on the Internet nowadays, it’s becoming more and more difficult to prove the truthfulness of this information. How do you think science journalism will develop in this media environment? 
   
   This is a very good, very challenging question that is currently exacerbated by developments in artificial intelligence. Some publishers are already releasing AI-generated content. My prediction is that this will further erode trust in media and generate new scandals around untrue content. In this context, responsible journalism is more important than ever. Only if we have a consensus on what we accept as established knowledge, do we have a basis for discourse. Journalism should prove to its readers, through consistent quality, great transparency regarding its methods and sources, and genuine critical capability, that its content can be trusted. However, with declining circulations and still no viable business model for making money with online articles, the opposite is happening. Everywhere there are cutbacks, which naturally means that quality is declining, more errors occur, and there is more pressure to gain readers, unfortunately still achieved through sensational headlines. Therefore, in my view, in addition to good quality journalism with a functioning business model, there is an urgent need for a second pillar in the fight against fake news: media literacy, which should be taught at home, in schools, and universities. What are reliable sources? How can I fact-check content? How do I recognize fake news? This becomes increasingly difficult with AI.
   
   
6. Looking back at your career, what advice would you give to aspiring science journalists?
   
   For aspiring science journalists, I would advise spending some time working in the field of science to gain a better understanding of how research works and how to identify good studies. Additionally, I find it important not to remain a lone wolf but to collaborate with other journalists. The media landscape is undergoing significant changes, and it is very beneficial to network and support each other. It is also crucial to think creatively about one’s business model. Few (science) journalists have secure permanent positions. Nowadays, there are many opportunities to finance oneself outside of traditional employment, such as through crowdfunding projects, cooperative models, or institutional clients beyond the traditional media (research institutes, health insurance companies, universities).

Camilla, Chen, Filip, Laura.