Unit 5 P3 M2 Applied Science
P3, M2 – Explain how the media has influenced public perception of science and whether
concerns raised about science are justified:
Links to the articles: MMR vaccine:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-89553/The-case-MMR-vaccine.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/053790_MMR_research_data_William_Thompson_vaccine_safety_sc
ience.html
http://www.ids.ac.uk/project/childhood-vaccination-science-and-public-engagement
I have taken this article from the ‘Institute of development studies’ website. The title of the article is
Childhood Vaccination: Science and Public Engagement. I have looked at this article and it mainly
focuses on the view points of the audience about MMR vaccines in not only in UK but also countries
like Africa. I have studied the article and there are many different viewpoints on the vaccine.
The media has emphasised the views of the people who could need the vaccine, they have been
raising the issue that the ‘MMR vaccine’ is dangerous and might not work. This means that the public
is worried about if they should get that vaccine. The media gives an impression that it might be safer
to not have the vaccine and you’re less likely to die from the MMR. The media has been giving the
wrong facts about the vaccination and not focusing on the positive aspects of it.
In this article the media tends to highlight the limits of science and not justify it. Due to the articles
like the one I have looked at raises a lot of anxiety in people making them unsafe about getting the
vaccine, they are potentially scared about getting the MMR but also being exposed to other diseases
other than the MMR. The articles states that due to the misleading information carried from
different articles about the MMR and the risk of the fact that if a child gets a vaccine there is still a
risk that they might get worse.
The media has been very critical to the topic of the MMR meaning that there were a lot of debates
and negative views on the vaccine; this has affected the choices of the parents. Parents have found
the link between getting the vaccine and their child suffering from autism. This has decreased the
willingness of parents to get their child vaccinated. The media has influenced their views preventing
their children from having triple doses of the MMR vaccine.
Comparing how this topic was reported in the magazine article to the newspaper article. The main
differences between the two were that the magazine article was more informative; however, the
newspaper article was in my opinion focused more on the ‘worrying’ of the public.
When I have read the article taken from the newspaper it gave me an impression that the vaccine
has been presented in a negative way because it made an impression as if the anxiety given to
people was on purpose.
The newspaper article didn’t give much detail on what actually was going on, however, it did talk
about the fact that the vaccine has been raising issues in different regions of the UK. It has also
talked about the fact that the scientists have to make a lot of improvement on the vaccine due to its
side effects of children getting autism.
P3, M2 – Explain how the media has influenced public perception of science and whether
concerns raised about science are justified:
Links to the articles: MMR vaccine:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-89553/The-case-MMR-vaccine.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/053790_MMR_research_data_William_Thompson_vaccine_safety_sc
ience.html
http://www.ids.ac.uk/project/childhood-vaccination-science-and-public-engagement
I have taken this article from the ‘Institute of development studies’ website. The title of the article is
Childhood Vaccination: Science and Public Engagement. I have looked at this article and it mainly
focuses on the view points of the audience about MMR vaccines in not only in UK but also countries
like Africa. I have studied the article and there are many different viewpoints on the vaccine.
The media has emphasised the views of the people who could need the vaccine, they have been
raising the issue that the ‘MMR vaccine’ is dangerous and might not work. This means that the public
is worried about if they should get that vaccine. The media gives an impression that it might be safer
to not have the vaccine and you’re less likely to die from the MMR. The media has been giving the
wrong facts about the vaccination and not focusing on the positive aspects of it.
In this article the media tends to highlight the limits of science and not justify it. Due to the articles
like the one I have looked at raises a lot of anxiety in people making them unsafe about getting the
vaccine, they are potentially scared about getting the MMR but also being exposed to other diseases
other than the MMR. The articles states that due to the misleading information carried from
different articles about the MMR and the risk of the fact that if a child gets a vaccine there is still a
risk that they might get worse.
The media has been very critical to the topic of the MMR meaning that there were a lot of debates
and negative views on the vaccine; this has affected the choices of the parents. Parents have found
the link between getting the vaccine and their child suffering from autism. This has decreased the
willingness of parents to get their child vaccinated. The media has influenced their views preventing
their children from having triple doses of the MMR vaccine.
Comparing how this topic was reported in the magazine article to the newspaper article. The main
differences between the two were that the magazine article was more informative; however, the
newspaper article was in my opinion focused more on the ‘worrying’ of the public.
When I have read the article taken from the newspaper it gave me an impression that the vaccine
has been presented in a negative way because it made an impression as if the anxiety given to
people was on purpose.
The newspaper article didn’t give much detail on what actually was going on, however, it did talk
about the fact that the vaccine has been raising issues in different regions of the UK. It has also
talked about the fact that the scientists have to make a lot of improvement on the vaccine due to its
side effects of children getting autism.
