The way audiences are getting information is changing. The way the internet is playing a role in getting this information is influencing journalists to create unique and interesting ways to portray information and facts.

Professor Alfred Hermida in his talk at the Wedgewood Hotel in Vancouver last night addressed how to make science relevant in a digital age.

We know the web allows new tools, innovative ways to tell a story and now science is tapping into this relatively new medium to tell difficult stories that would otherwise be weighed down with facts and figures.

Professor Hermida illustrated his talk with an online project of leatherback turtles: one studied at the University of British Columbia and the other in the south Pacific.

He wanted to make a point that science matters. This story needs to be told, but instead of a five-page spread in the newspaper with sidebars, charts and lots of text, online offers new ways to engage with the public. It is there for scientists and journalists to improve their reporting.

But are we sacrificing information for visuals? Professor Hermida would argue against that. The information is there. The articles are well researched and most current data is used. It just allows the audience to read as much or as little as they want. After all, our generation doesn’t have much time to read a five-page feature.

How do you improve science journalism? It must begin with knowing who your audience is, but also know that not everyone wants simple information, basic language or fun games.

This brings us to another aspect of our culture: we are a gaming generation. A game will catch our attention and what better way to learn about migrating turtles than to place them in a game. Interaction taken to a new level. Along the way, we learn facts about their behaviour and how their migration is going. What they are eating, how they are interacting.

This is great, but who is this really targeting? Is this new tool forgetting about the older generation who doesn’t spend hours on the net? Sure, it will teach and reach a younger audience, but it might be insulting to someone who would much rather read a research paper or a very intensive feature article.

Plus or minuses indeed, but if science is to reach the masses, maybe taking advantage of online is one way to do it.