The Covering Science Slack: A Peer-Mentoring Community

The Open Notebook‘s Covering Science Slack is a diverse, supportive peer-mentoring community for local and general assignment reporters and editors. Our goal is to support journalists who do not think of science, health, or environmental reporting as their beat but want to develop their skills and confidence in including scientific information and perspectives in their stories.

This community includes local and general-assignment reporters and editors, as well as a smaller number of experienced science journalists who serve as mentors within the group. Members are invited to seek (and offer) advice on any topic related to covering science, such as how to exchange ideas on topics such as finding suitable expert sources, refining story angles, evaluating scientific studies and claims, making sense of new findings and their implications, and more. Members can also participate in various types of learning opportunities and activities, including one-on-one peer mentoring, guided Slack discussions, reading groups, webinars centered on core challenges of covering science, and informal virtual gatherings.

With support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, we are now accepting applications for new members. The program will run at least through September, 2023, and we hope to establish the program as a sustainable, continuously running community. The program is managed by Rachel Zamzow, managing editor of The Open Notebook and an experienced science journalist and editor based in Texas (see contact information below).

There is no cost to participate in this program.

Eligibility

We are seeking participants who work as reporters or editors (staff or freelance) at U.S.-based local, regional, and general assignment media outlets who don’t consider science to be their beat but who are interested in incorporating science coverage into their work.

Cost

There is no cost to participate in this program.

How to Join