Incorporating scientific evidence strengthens reporting for almost any story and better informs your readers. Think about where science might play a role in the topics and issues they care about. Then, consider what they need to know.
Use the questions below to jumpstart your thinking about how science intersects with many of the stories you cover. Jot down your responses in the space below. This brainstorming exercise can help you discover the often-hidden science dimensions within your local stories.
Spin the wheel or click on any topic below to consider how scientific evidence and expert insights can strengthen reporting on a variety of topics, from housing to food to public safety. Peruse the story hints provided, or brainstorm story ideas relevant to your beat or community.
If you’re unsure where to start with a science story idea, consider the explainer format. Explainers on science topics can be a powerful tool in any kind of publication. By knowing your audience, you can contextualize important information and make it accessible depending on their interests and needs.
Below, you can brainstorm ideas for a science explainer.
Have you read about a national issue or topic recently that could have an implication for your community, or that you think it’s important for your audience to know about?
Are there questions that come up over and over from your sources in your reporting? What are people confused or curious about?
What misconceptions are prevalent for your audience?
Have you been covering a complex issue that might benefit from having some of its key details broken down simply?
Based on your brainstorming above, what’s your core explainer concept?
Writing an explainer can help you drill into the science of any of these topics. To write your science explainer, you’ll need to enlist some expert sources.
You’ll also want to consider the language and formatting that will engage your audience. Rather than getting bogged down in unnecessary details, share places where audiences can find more information. You can even try out different formats, such as an infographic, short video, or card deck.
Many journalists got into this work because we love following our curiosity. By making it your mission to find the science in any kind of story, you’re opening up a whole universe of new possibilities that allow you to report beyond the demands of breaking news. This approach enables you to deepen your coverage or see issues in your community from a new, science-informed perspective, pursuing unique angles driven by what you’re wondering about.
Incorporating science into your reporting can help you deepen your coverage or see an issue in your community differently—for example, interviewing a neurologist about the mental impacts of trauma for a story on crime.
You’ll find inspiring examples of science in reporting in popular magazines, literary journals, and local newspapers alike.
Enjoy the opportunity to write about science in an exciting or unusual way. Science stories don’t have to be jargony.
Science stories abound in government policies playing out in your community or those proposed at the federal or state level. Seek out the scientific evidence backing public policies to better inform your audience and their decision-making.
