Roxanne Khamsi Explores a Potential Revolution in Cancer Treatment

One typically thinks of Darwin’s theory of evolution playing out in natural habitats. Over time, random mutations that make a species more fit for its niche lead to the giraffe’s neck, the spider’s venom, the bees’ communicative dance. Journalist and genetics junkie Roxanne Khamsi was intrigued to learn of a theory that cancer cells are subject to similar evolutionary pressures. She spoke to TON about the challenges and pleasures of tackling a math-dense subject with implications for extending the lives of people with cancer.

Jeanne Erdmann Aug 20, 2019

Apoorva Mandavilli Probes India’s Push to Eliminate Leprosy

Leprosy’s victims suffer visible pockmarks, deformed limbs, and a lifetime of social ostracism. Yet the microbe responsible for this suffering remains elusive. Last year, India’s Supreme Court ruled that the country’s government had shirked its responsibility to patients and that officials had failed to count the number of patients correctly. The news piqued Apoorva Mandavilli’s interest and led her to track down how clinics and patients cope with this ancient disease.

Jyoti Madhusoodanan Jul 23, 2019

Interviewing Sources about Traumatic Experiences

Interviews about traumatic experiences can be daunting for any journalist, and may risk distressing the source. Yet many science stories, from medical investigations to disaster reporting, require such testimonies—be it to show the human impact of an event or to resolve conflicting accounts. Learning to conduct these interviews ethically is an important skill for every science journalist, and can result in richer and more accurate stories.

Sophie Hardach Jul 16, 2019

How to Ask for Feedback from Editors

Reporters regularly receive feedback in the form of line edits on story drafts. But broader input on one’s overarching writing quality can be tough to glean from editors. Getting this kind of big-picture assessment from editors can help journalists identify problematic patterns in their writing, understand how to craft their stories to better match a publication’s style, and set more ambitious goals for their next pieces. Here’s how to ask for broad feedback on your writing.

Knvul Sheikh Jul 9, 2019

Covering Indigenous Communities with Respect and Sensitivity

Mainstream media often face challenges when reporting on tribal communities. Indigenous journalist Debra Utacia Krol offers advice on reporting in Indigenous communities and on the intersection of Indigenous cultural practices and Western science. Learn where to find accurate, unbiased information on Native ecological practices for research purposes, identify Indigenous experts who are acknowledged for their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and examine best practices in engaging with occasionally reluctant tribal sources.

Debra Utacia Krol Jun 18, 2019

A Day in the Life of Eli Chen

Eli Chen reports on scientific research and environmental issues at St. Louis Public Radio. Her work has appeared in or aired on NPR, Marketplace, WHYY’s The Pulse, The New York Times, Science Friday, and Scientific American. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, her role model growing up was Sue the T. rex at the Field Museum, because everyone should aspire to become an apex predator.

TON Editors Jun 11, 2019