Shedding a negative image

1196 an embarrassing corrective lesson. The wrong-doings of the media are not as common as is often claimed. Scientific research is also an overwhelmingly honest profession. But both the media and scientists have misled the public on some important matters. And when it comes to uncovering fraud, freedom of the press and an editor who backs an investigative reporter can be superior to the mechanisms of the scientific community, whose members sometimes do not have the freedom and protection that they need in order to speak out. Foundations, institutes and media observers might present the failings of journalism and ponder possible remedies, but there are three sure ways for the research community itself to contribute to better media coverage of science: deal with its own bad science before it gets into the news, reign back mediahungry journals, and be more proactive in feeding good science into the news.