Covering Science at the Local Level

Science journalism goes beyond reporting scientific news—it’s a lens through which we can see the world. It’s about how evidence, uncertainty, risk, and power interact. It’s about using scientific evidence to hold decision-makers accountable and inform the public. Every community is wrestling with countless issues that have scientific evidence at their core—extreme weather, opioid addiction, reproductive health access, gun violence, housing and transportation infrastructure, agriculture, and many others.

Local journalists play a crucial role in explaining these topics, countering misinformation, and strengthening trust in journalism. Integrating science into local journalism helps media outlets provide deeper, clearer coverage, contextualizing global issues for local communities. Local reporters and editors should have access to tools and resources to confidently incorporate science into their stories. This includes understanding scientific evidence, knowing where to find it, quoting scientists, and conveying concepts like risk and uncertainty accurately.

The Open Notebook offers a variety of resources to assist local journalists, including a community of practice for local and general-assignment reporters, a brown-bag series for local newsrooms, and a library of articles and tip sheets focused on challenges that journalists may face in covering science at the local level.

Explore the Science Reporting Navigator

This interactive toolkit helps journalists on any beat bring more scientific evidence and context into their stories. This free resource, the Science Reporting Navigator, was produced through a partnership between and the Reynolds Journalism Institute.

Schedule a Training

Do reporters and editors on your staff have questions about how to incorporate scientific evidence and perspectives into your outlet’s stories? The Open Notebook offers a program of customizable trainings and workshops for newsrooms, journalism organizations, and university programs. Our trainings can be delivered virtually or in person. To learn more, please email Rachel Zamzow, deputy executive editor of The Open Notebook: rachelzamzow@theopennotebook.com.

Check Out Our Tip Sheets for Local Journalists

To help make it easier for journalists on deadline to incorporate scientific evidence and perspectives into their coverage, The Open Notebook and SciLine have teamed up to distill key science reporting skills into a series of quick-hit resources.

Build Community with Other Local Journalists

The Open Notebook‘s Covering Science peer-mentoring program is a free community of practice for local and general assignment reporters and editors who may not have a background in science but are interested in adding more scientific perspectives to their stories.

Find In-Depth Resources to Help You Include Science in Local Stories

We’ve published hundreds of in-depth guides at The Open Notebook, with advice on a wide range of topics related to covering science, health, the environment, and technology. Here, we’ve curated a subset of those articles and resource guides that we think are especially valuable for reporters working at the local level. (If you’re hungry for even more, check out our Local Reporting and Community Engagement topic area.)