There is widespread concern over the lack of scientific literacy in our nation. Because the adult public receives most of its information about science from the media, journalists represent a critical link in communicating science to the public. Unfortunately, most journalists are no more scientifically literate than the general population. The situation has become so critical that a recent report to Congress recommends the training of active journalists to help them report more accurately about scientific issues. The problem of scientific illiteracy manifests itself especially clearly in reporting about drug addiction and related social issues. To address this problem, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and National Families in Action, a drug-education and prevention organization, propose to create an Addiction Studies Institute for Journalists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The institute will carry out three specific aims: 1) it will conduct semi-annual workshops for journalists at Wake Forest University to teach the science of addiction, 2) it will create and maintain an Internet Resource Center on the World Wide Web, and 3) it will evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts. The workshops will offer an intensive introduction to the scientific bases of the many issues related to addiction, including topics from molecular biology and neurobiology to epidemiology and policy research. The workshops will employ a Problem-Based Learning approach that fits well with the needs of adult learners. The web site will augment the knowledge journalists acquire at the workshops and give them access to additional resources, including scientists who will serve as expert resources for their stories about drug issues. The evaluation component will include process evaluations of the workshops, an outcome evaluation of the effectiveness of the workshops in meeting their goals, and an analysis of the usefulness of the Internet resource center.
