Science Journalism

Science Journalism

The Difficulty of Finding Impartial Sources in Science

By Robert Lee Hotz• Features• September 15, 2002

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

The Extraordinary Adventure That Is Science Writing

By Jon Franklin• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Reporting Science Means Looking for Cautionary Signals

By Boyce Rensberger• Features• September 15, 2002

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

What Every Journalist Should Know About Science and Science Journalism

By Boyce Rensberger• Features• September 15, 2002

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 no one scientific method, but all good science includes elaborate … Read more

Books Every Science Writer Should Read

Books• September 15, 2002

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 background reading and is not meant as an exhaustive compilation. Read more

Investigating Science

By Deborah Blum• Features• September 15, 2002

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

The Devolution of a Science Page

By Jim Dawson• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Breaking News or Broken News

By Jon D. Miller• Features• September 15, 2002

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

How Does the European Press Address Cloning?

By Olivier Blond• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Rethinking the Science Beat

By Stefanie Friedhoff• Features• September 15, 2002

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

New Complications in Reporting on Science

By Cornelia Dean• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Scientific Conversations

By Claudia Dreifus• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Technology Enables New Scientific Images to Emerge

By Felice Frankel• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Bringing Science to a Television Audience

By Jon Palfreman• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Radio’s Relentless Pace Dictates Different Coverage

By Christopher Joyce• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Teaching Journalism Students to Report on Science

By Douglas Starr• Features• September 15, 2002

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

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

By Patricia Thomas• Features• September 15, 2002

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

The Science of Producing Food

By Anne Fitzgerald• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Reporting on Science in South America

By Marcelo Leite• Features• September 15, 2002

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

Listening to Scientists and Journalists

By Gael Walker and Rosslyn Reed• Features• September 15, 2002

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