ISSUE

Fall 2002

Science Journalism

Those who report on science have never been better prepared to do so, according to Los Angeles Times science and technology writer Robert Lee Hotz, whose insights open our section on science journalism. But as Hotz also observes, the challenges these reporters confront have never been larger: Newsroom cutbacks mean the reporters “are stretched to cover increasingly complex science stories ….” And their task is made harder by the dearth of impartial sources, forcing them “to look as hard at the scientists as we look at the science itself.” – Melissa Ludtke, Editor

Articles

‘About This Story’

Newspapers work to make narrative journalism be accountable to readers.

Breaking News or Broken News

A brief history of the ‘first cloned human embryo’ story.

What Every Journalist Should Know About Science and Science Journalism

Science demands evidence, and some forms of evidence are worth more than others are. A scientist’s authority should command attention but, in the absence of evidence, not belief. There is…

Reporting on Science in South America

International coverage is good, while local research often isn’t well covered.

The Difficulty of Finding Impartial Sources in Science

Reporters are better prepared, the public is eager for news, yet the science beat is getting tougher to do.

The Extraordinary Adventure That Is Science Writing

‘Once you’ve done it you can’t imagine doing anything else.’

Scientific Conversations

After interviewing political leaders, a journalist uncovers the real revolution by talking with scientists.

Books Every Science Writer Should Read

This list of recommended books has been assembled by Boyce Rensberger, director of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It represents only a start on…

Expanding the Lens on Coverage of the Middle East

By judging a newspaper’s visual coverage over a long period of time, bias becomes less apparent.

The Science of Producing Food

As science’s role in the food chain increases, journalists need to ‘get it right.’

New Complications in Reporting on Science

Scientists have important roles to play in getting the news right, but they are often reluctant participants.

Technology Enables New Scientific Images to Emerge

‘This new process in science communication will produce a different kind of journalistic thinking ….’

Rethinking the Science Beat

Cultural assumptions matter, and journalists need this broader context as part of their reporting.

The Devolution of a Science Page

Suffering from editorial interference and lack of focus, ‘The page actually managed to make science boring.’

Listening to Scientists and Journalists

By hearing what they say about themselves and each other, researchers try to find common ground to improve reporting.

Reporting Science Means Looking for Cautionary Signals

‘Experienced science writers try to keep the sense of uncertainty in their copy.’

Meshing Science, Money and Politics in a Book About AIDS Vaccines

‘Narrative was an obvious tool for approaching such a story….’

Radio’s Relentless Pace Dictates Different Coverage

‘The doing of science is rich territory for radio, since it’s full of sound, if not fury.’

Bringing Science to a Television Audience

Too often, spectacles—like mummies and volcanoes—triumph over the reporting of modern science.

How Does the European Press Address Cloning?

The answer depends on the level of debate and who is saying what.

Investigating Science

Lots of time is required to cultivate sources and verify their claims.

Fall 2002: Words & Reflections Introduction

“They are pictures from the heart, of devastated buildings and of devastated people. They are images of us—the living—trying to mourn our invisible dead.”These words—part of a reflection on the…

Fall 2002: Introduction

As conflict in the Middle East has intensified, scrutiny of the press coverage has likewise increased, with charges of biased reporting being made from all sides. Often such charges lead…

September 11: The Impact of Photography A Year Later

Photographers help ‘in the collective and somber effort of rebuilding.’

Teaching Journalism Students to Report on Science

They learn how to put science into its broader economic and social context.

Environmental Consequences of Our Reliance on the Printed Word

Waste and pollution are the result of the paper that fuels the timber industry.

Fall 2002: Journalist’s Trade Introduction

With more newspapers now using graphics to display information, John Maxwell Hamilton, dean of the Manship School of Mass Communications at Louisiana State University, along with several colleagues, examined how…

With Passion and Joy, Jim Bellows Enlivened Journalism

The Last EditorHow I Saved The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times from Dullness and ComplacencyJim BellowsAndrews McMeel Publishing. 349 Pages. $28.95.All the talk these…

Winter 2002: Introduction

Journalists who devote considerable time to coverage of immigration and investigation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) write about why they report on a topic that rarely makes Page…

Restoring and Renovating Walter Lippmann House

The Nieman Foundation is enlarging its home to meet the needs of its residents.
Reporting Science Means Looking for Cautionary Signals

Reporting Science Means Looking for Cautionary Signals

‘Experienced science writers try to keep the sense of uncertainty in their copy.’

Zombies on Roller Coasters

American media transport too many people to nowhere.

Celebrating a Journalist’s Life

Richard Harwood’s family donates his books to the Kovach Library.

Do Words and Pictures From the Middle East Matter?

A journalist from the region argues that U.S. policy is not affected by the way news is reported.

The Minefield of Language in Middle East Coverage

Journalists rarely have the time or space to navigate through the war of words.

The Daniel Pearl Video

A journalist explains why its horrific images should be treated as news.

Covering the Intifada: A Hazardous Beat

Photographers and journalists come under gunfire while reporting on the conflict.

Nieman Curator James C. Thomson, Jr., 1931-2002

James Thomson, Curator of the Nieman Foundation from 1972-1984, died on August 11 of cardiac arrest after a brief illness. He was 70. What follows are words contributed by Niemans…

Images Lead to Varying Perceptions

‘In photographs in which we, as journalists, saw danger, some readers saw deception.’

Portrait of a Death

The Oregonian considered a sequence of three photos showing a Palestinian gunman being shot dead by an Israeli sniper in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday, March 29,…

Arriving at Judgments in Selecting Photos

At The Oregonian, key questions help to frame decisions about images of Mideast violence.

Photographic Images Can Be Misunderstood

‘I had hoped people would view this boy from Ain el Helweh as I had seen him, a tiny tragic figure.’

Examples of ‘About This Story’ Boxes

1. The Oregonian“The Boy Behind the Mask”To report “The Boy Behind the Mask,” Tom Hallman, Jr. spent hundreds of hours, over more than 10 months, poring over medical records, reading…

Graphics and Journalism

In USA Today, some of its ‘Snapshots’ have not given the full picture.

Deciding on an Emotion-Laden Photograph For Page One

When an image reflects ‘a crucial moment in a course of events,’ editors make the decision to publish it.