Introducing: Science Reporting Quick Tips!
Science reporting is crucial in helping the public understand complex scientific topics and their implications. By translating technical research into accessible stories, journalists enable informed decision-making and foster a greater appreciation for scientific advancements. Effective science reporting requires a deep dive into scientific literature, interviews with experts, and a critical evaluation of evidence to ensure accuracy and clarity.
No matter where you come from, these are essential skills that every journalist can enhance. To help you on this journey, The Open Notebook and SciLine have joined forces to create a series of quick, impactful resources designed to sharpen your science reporting skills and meet those tight deadlines. Let’s get started!
The first four tip sheets in this series are available:
- Expert Scientific Sources: Talking to scientists who are currently researching your topic can ensure accuracy in your science reporting. Although it might take some effort to locate a scientist with the appropriate expertise, doing so will add valuable context and detail to your story. This guide offers advice on how to:
- Identify the types of sources needed for your story
- Locate scientists who are actively researching the topic
- Utilize networks effectively
- Making Sense of Scientific Studies: When reading a scientific paper, it’s okay if you don’t grasp everything right away. Take the time to reread sections and look up unfamiliar terms. Then, compile questions to ask experts who understand the details more deeply. Keep in mind that, as a reporter, you already possess the skills to identify and formulate these questions.
- Finding and Including Diverse Sources: Incorporating diverse sources in science stories can provide essential context, elevate the voices of historically marginalized communities, and enhance public trust in science and journalism. This guide outlines methods to:
- Make source diversity a regular practice rather than an afterthought
- Utilize all available resources to expand your pool of experts
- Monitor source diversity to accurately represent the communities you cover
- Stats Terms for Covering Science: Numbers can enhance stories by supporting claims or explaining concepts, so as a journalist, you may need to incorporate and interpret statistics in your work. This guide covers six essential concepts that reporters should understand—without needing a degree in statistics—including statistical significance, the distinction between risk and odds, and the difference between percentage and percent change
The whole series can be found here.