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Why Support Science Journalism?

High-quality science journalism has never been more essential than it is today.

The best science journalists do not merely translate the latest discoveries into lay language. They provide critical context and nuanced analysis that help readers appreciate the cumulative nature of scientific advance, distinguish scientific controversy from politically motivated debate, and meet the human characters behind research endeavors. The Open Notebook is the only organization dedicated to providing science journalists with the tools to sharpen their skills.

The Open Notebook is the only organization dedicated to providing science journalists with the tools to sharpen their skills. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support science journalism.

We hear regularly from science writers at all levels of experience, from beginners to veterans, who say they view TON as an invaluable resource. The Open Notebook has been called “a gift to the science writer community” and “the textbook of science journalism.” (Read more about what people say about TON here.) In fact, at least two dozen journalism instructors have told us they use TON articles and other resources in their teaching.

Since 2010, the site has welcomed more than 800,000 unique visitors. Despite the science writing community’s small size, we have about 15,000 unique visitors a month. And about 19,000 people have visited the site more than 50 times, a sign that the journalism community views TON as essential reading.

TON is a valuable resource to science writers all over the globe. People from almost every country in the world have visited TON—and of those, more than two dozen countries (including numerous developing nations) have sent at least 1,000 visitors each.

Creating and publishing these resources costs money. We pay writers competitive rates for every interview, feature, and story annotation. We also pay for professional editing and copyediting, as well as covering administrative costs such as website hosting and domain registration, site maintenance, and nonprofit registration fees. When grant funding is scarce, TON’s co-founders pay these costs out of their own pockets.

TON is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. If we have helped you improve your skills, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to help support science journalism.