The Open Notebook offers a number of different workshop options and consultations to help journalists, editors, and newsroom teams, as well as graduate students and scientists who are interested in science writing advance their skills.
Virtual Workshop Series: The Craft of Science Editing
As an editor, how do you decide whether to assign or reject a pitch from a freelancer? How do you work with writers to shape story ideas and to support their reporting? How do you identify what’s missing in a draft and figure out what revisions will make a story sing? How do you communicate your edits effectively and build collaborative relationships with writers? How do you edit with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind? How do you handle difficult conversations with writers when tricky situations arise?
Science editors have few formal opportunities to learn these skills. To help fill this critical gap, The Open Notebook is offering a series of virtual, interactive workshops that will give emerging and established editors the skills and confidence to work with writers on selecting and sharpening story ideas, planning and carrying out reporting, anticipating and troubleshooting problems in the reporting and writing process, and crafting accurate and compelling stories.
These workshops are for editors at any career stage, staff or freelance, who want to improve their skills in key technical areas of editing and to sharpen their coaching skills.
Host a Private Webinar or Workshop for Your Newsroom, Classroom, or Event
Whether you’re a newsroom seeking to help your team members build their skills, a community of freelancers looking to invest in your craft, a university instructor who wants to bring additional perspectives into your classroom, or a professional association that wants to offer training opportunities to your members, Open Notebook webinars and workshops offer a range of training options.
Our webinars and workshops range from single one-hour sessions to multi-day events and can be customized to meet your needs. Formats can include short webinars, hands-on interactive workshops and trainings, keynote lectures, or informal Q&A discussions or panels. The cost of our workshops and other events varies greatly depends on many aspects of the circumstances. Some of our programs include:
- Finding effective story angles
- Pitching science stories
- Editing science stories
- Finding diverse sources and tracking source diversity
- Reporting on scientific studies
- Evaluating evidence and claims
- Understanding and dealing with conflict of interest
- Structuring science stories
- Building and sustaining healthy writer-editor relationships
- Transitioning from science to journalism
- And more
To inquire about bringing a TON webinar or workshop to your newsroom, classroom, or event, please contact TON editor-in-chief Siri Carpenter: siricarpenter@theopennotebook.com.
One-on-One Consultations
If you’re a journalist or editor seeking advice about some aspect of your work or career development, consider booking a 60-minute phone or Zoom call with TON editor-in-chief Siri Carpenter. In this private and confidential session, we can discuss reporting or editing craft, ethical considerations, skill-building opportunities, and strategies for your career growth. In addition, we can talk over any challenges you may be facing with specific projects or in your career progression.
The fee for a one-hour consultation is $150.
Our goal at The Open Notebook is to support the advancement of science journalists around the world. In particular, we want to ensure that the resources we provide are accessible to those who have experienced higher-than-average barriers to entry in our field. If you are a member of a community that has historically been underrepresented in science journalism or if your economic circumstances would make the full cost of a consultation a financial strain, we invite you to select the option for a 70 percent discount ($45 fee) when signing up for a consultation.
Schedule a 60-minute consultation at the regular cost ($150).
Schedule a 60-minute consultation at the discounted cost ($45).
