If I had to write a popular media article based on a scientific paper, I would include visual aids and interviews to make the article appealing to a general audience while retaining its scientific relevance.  Visual aids such as pictures, graphs or charts would represent the scientific information and research in an appealing and comprehensible way that could retain the attention of the audience while remaining informative.  Diagrams and charts could help to complement the scientific information from the text, and such visuals could present the scientific findings and results from the primary source in an innovative way.  Likewise, interviews with people connected to the specific scientific topic or study such as researchers, doctors or patients would provide the audience with a better understanding of the scientific topic’s significance.  Incorporating a simplified synopsis of the scientific research along with relevant first-hand perspectives and visuals would strengthen the effectiveness of the scientific research in resonating with ordinary readers who may not otherwise find it appealing.

One area where authors could improve when writing about science is tampering expectations of the impact of the scientific research that they are reporting on.  Popular media authors should refrain from exaggerating and inferring more idealistic conclusions beyond the conclusions of the scientific research.  Beyond this criticism, I was struck by the controversial research that was conducted pertaining to modifying genes to cure or treat certain diseases or disorders such as muscular dystrophy.  I was surprised that the authors of the popular media articles pertaining to these studies did not adequately mention the ethical concerns of theses methods of genetic modification.  This is a controversial form of scientific research, and I believe that the authors should have highlighted the concerns to the audience and presented the potential risks.