At some point in their career, most journalists will make a mistake, from minor ones such as misspellings to more significant ones like misunderstanding the conclusions of a study. It’s crucial to understand how mistakes happen, so journalists can do their best to avoid them—and understand how to handle them when they do occur.
Many writers will at some point write a piece that generates a negative reaction from readers. Sometimes it’s warranted, and was perhaps avoidable; sometimes, as one editor puts it, “people are just jerks.” But tucked into the backlash is often a lesson—whether it’s about boosting your digital security, building out your source list for your next piece, or partnering with your editor to dispel any self-doubt that’s crept in during the process.
Most journalists will agree that learning how to properly report on science news takes time, but as news of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate headlines, it’s now a job that many reporters must learn quickly. To help new science journalists, whether they’re fresh out of college, career changers, or seasoned journalists being given an unexpected assignment, The Open Notebook asked 18 science journalists for their most practical advice for covering the health and science beat. Here’s what they told us.
Patient narratives can add depth and heart to health reporting, putting faces to statistics and grounding data that might otherwise seem obscure. And thanks to social media platforms, it’s become easier than ever for journalists to find new sources to fill these gaps. But venturing into this virtual territory also raises some complex ethical quandaries about the spaces reporters should and shouldn’t invite themselves into—and how to balance timeliness and accuracy with sensitivity and compassion.
In March, a lecture Meehan Crist had given in London was adapted into an essay called “Is It OK to Have a Child?” In the piece, which grapples with the ethics of having children in the era of climate change, Crist embarks on a fraught discussion about parenthood, crisis, and, ultimately, individual empowerment. Here, she discusses her inspiration, the stumbling blocks she hit along the way, and the process of grounding the difficult subject of climate change in personal narrative.
Sources often ask to see quotes or drafts before publication to ensure that their work is accurately represented and that the opinions they’ve given don’t reflect poorly on them. But even when well intentioned, most journalists agree these requests usually can’t be accommodated without a breach of integrity. As such, navigating these conversations kindly and effectively is a critical part of the science journalist’s job. Here’s how to set the record straight.
In May, BuzzFeed News reporter Stephanie Lee broke a massive story based on a whistleblower complaint, filed with Stanford University, criticizing the researchers behind a controversial study on COVID-19 antibody testing. The lengthy document revealed that JetBlue’s founder, a known critic of ongoing economic shutdowns, had financially backed the research. It also noted that the scientists who had compiled the data had ignored concerns from their colleagues about the reliability of the antibody test their results were based on. Here, Lee explains how her story unfolded—and why she can’t reveal much about the original tip.
In covering infectious disease, Nature senior reporter Amy Maxmen keeps the focus on the scientists behind new discoveries. Six years after she wrote about the Ebola outbreak that began in West Africa in 2014, Maxmen is once again writing about a viral pandemic. Here, she tells Katherine J. Wu about finding unique angles on COVID-19, how her experiences with Ebola reporting have informed her journalism, and how a borrowed Chihuahua is helping her get through the pandemic.
Many science reporters either don’t know how to negotiate shrewdly or are afraid doing so could lead to lost opportunities. But not reading and negotiating on contracts can carry real costs. If freelance writing is your career, then honing your negotiating skills is a key to the craft. And that means understanding what terms like kill fees, indemnity clauses, and copyrights mean and how to negotiate for better contract terms.
When reporter Taylor Quimby delved into the confusing, complicated world of Lyme disease for his documentary podcast Patient Zero, he learned a lot about what tracing a disease looked like. The goal of Quimby’s seven-part miniseries was to explore Lyme and how the medical establishment handled it, while lending sound to what has often been called a “silent disease.” Quimby spoke to Shira Feder about how he gained sources’ trust, how he employed sound effects, and how he figured out how to tell the story of a complicated medical mystery in audio form.
Tampa Bay Times reporter Lane DeGregory spent three years with a family as they waited for a medical miracle. DeGregory shares how she distilled 42 legal pads of reporting into “Lincoln’s Shot,” an eight-part series that is intimate yet comprehensive.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused staggering loss of life and, over the course of just a few weeks, triggered an unprecedented global shutdown. The scale of the disaster and the astonishing pace of its […]
Let’s say you want to dip your toes into graphic journalism but are worried because you think you can’t draw. Luckily, making graphic journalism isn’t so much a test of your drawing abilities as it is about making words and images work together. You can begin illustrating even without an art background. Here are some strategies for getting started.
With the advent of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, an increasing number of people are learning that they were conceived using donor sperm. In rare cases, it turns out that their biological fathers are actually the doctors who offered fertility treatments to their parents. A situation like this involving an Indiana fertility doctor piqued The Atlantic reporter Sarah Zhang’s interest, leading her to track down his biological children. Her investigation reveals how much society’s attitude toward donor insemination has changed.
The National Park Service greenlighted a project studying the effects of climate change on coastal parks—then buried its results. Reporter Elizabeth Shogren, of Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, tells TON how she used public-records laws to pull back the curtain on scientific censorship by top Park Service officials.
Journalists who work for themselves and are planning on having a baby are on their own when it comes to budgeting for family leave, deciding when to disclose their plans to editors, and figuring out how much time they should take. But this also puts freelance reporters in a unique position to take advantage of all their job flexibility when transitioning into parenthood.
Reporters regularly receive feedback in the form of line edits on story drafts. But broader input on one’s overarching writing quality can be tough to glean from editors. Getting this kind of big-picture assessment from editors can help journalists identify problematic patterns in their writing, understand how to craft their stories to better match a publication’s style, and set more ambitious goals for their next pieces. Here’s how to ask for broad feedback on your writing.
Many science writers today have a beat—a defined area of research that they cover, such as astronomy, energy, the environment, or health. The best beat reporters become the go-to writers in these fields, get scoops, and provide deep dives into new developments. Here’s a look at the tools they use to sort through the chaos and find newsworthy stories.
Science journalists often default to framing stories around the scientists whose work forms the backbone of our reporting. But first-person anecdotes allow journalists to connect with readers by lending authority and emotional authenticity to stories, building narrative tension, or lightening the tone of a piece. First-person can also be used to check personal biases and reveal conflicts of interest, avoid awkward phrasing, or breathe life into arcane concepts.
Journalists are constantly inundated with pitches from people in media relations. But how do you draw the line between industry hype and accuracy? What steps do you need to take to weigh proprietary claims? Four science writers share their thoughts on evaluating industry information when peer-reviewed, published data are unavailable.
Scientists project that Tangier Island, a fishing community in the Chesapeake Bay, might be uninhabitable in 25 years—but locals don’t buy it. In her Pacific Standard portrait of a cozy town fighting a changing climate and a changing culture, Elaina Plott shows what climate science and climate politics look like at street level. She spoke to TON about the power of asking sources basic questions, the keys to small-town field reporting, and why opinions and empathy might both be overrated.
Across the United States, there’s a secret network of women working outside the law and the medical establishment to provide cheap and accessible home abortions. Investigative reporter Lizzie Presser shares how she discovered their story and brought their work into the light.
Some consider science journalism more technical and knowledge-heavy than other beats. That’s why there are often space writers with degrees in astronomy or health reporters who used to be doctors. But does that mean those are the only people who can do the job well? Do you need a science degree to be a science reporter? We reopen the classic debate with five science reporters.
The challenge of making complex science topics clear and entertaining can be even greater for audio journalists, who can’t use visual aids or rely on the audience to reread a confusing section. Yet Science Friday, Science Vs, and Radiolab have all discovered unique ways to meet this challenge. Now they share some of the most important lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Follow Us