ABSTRACT
What is already an overwhelming amount of complexity in news appears to be growing exponentially. Add to the list of complex stories-such as the global economic crisis-other long-term issues such as science and health literacy. For years, the National Institute of Health has noted the need to increase scientific literacy (“Healthy People 2010,” 2000) in a citizen population that possesses only a limited understanding of science, health and technology (Dunwoody, 1992; Lewenstein, 1992, 1994; Miller, 1987a, 1987b, 2000, 2001, 2004). Although the proportion of U.S. citizens qualifying as scientifically literate has doubled between 1980 and 2000, the current level remains problematic for a democratic society that values citizen understanding of major policies and participation to resolve policy disputes (Miller, 2004). At the same time, younger citizens claim the Internet as their primary news source and no other medium compares in terms of available information (Magid Associates, 2004).
