When you’re reporting on science, interviews are often friendly—closer to collaborative than combative. Interviews that are more adversarial can be intimidating, and, in the worst case, they can be a deterrent to taking on investigative science stories. While the best way to get over this fear is probably to amass many years of practice, science writers with less investigative experience can fast-track their progress by learning from the pros.
When a journalist is on the prowl for story ideas, every yarn spun by a friend, every vacation adventure, and every quirky local news item can seem like the beginning of a great story idea. But few of those glimmers of inspiration will turn out to be real gems. Learning the right questions to ask about an idea can help journalists figure out whether an idea deserves to exist as a story, and what kind of story to pitch.
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Pitching Errors: How Not to Pitch
Tools: Planner Pad, the Funnel of Focus
Taking Good Notes: Tricks and Tools
How Rebecca Skloot Built The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Trading the Pipette for the Pen: Transitioning from Science to Science Writing
On Being a Science Writer and Managing a Mental Illness
Are You a Writer or an Editor? Part I: The Writers
The Science Byline Counting Project: Where Are the Women—and Where Are They Not?
Navigating Newsrooms as a Minority
How to Talk to Your Facebook Friends about Fake News
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