This paper argues that of central importance to the global community is the communication of scientific and medical information made manifest through the world wide web. The salient aspects of this issue and the reasons for why it is of particular ethical concern can be recognised through considering the case of genetic technology and how it has been represented through the media. The paper argues in support of the public understanding of science, though critiques and extends this to focus on the public understanding of ethics. This re-description of priorities impacts providers and consumers of information by focusing on the need for communicating complex moral philosophical problem. However, it also raises a question about an ‘experts discourse,’ which could be perpetuated through this shift. Thus, in the same way that journalists rely on experts to comment on new innovations, it might also rely on moral experts or ethicists for a similar purpose. While this would be a beneficial advance from relying on scientists to provide such commentary, it can still be questioned whether ethicists should be placed in such positions. This is a broader question about the role of ethicists in society. Particularly in respect of genetics this seems problematic because there is a sense in which moral decisions made about this technology impact on the rest of humanity.

Keywords: ethics, science, media, cyberspace, internet

This presentation developed into the article, published in the journal Public Understanding of Science. To access a pre-publication pdf draft, click here