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A Tactical Guide to Science Journalism brings together award-winning journalists from around the world to share fascinating tales of science and how it works and to provide guidance into reporting specialties like infectious disease, climate change, astronomy, public health, physics, and statistics. From practical advice on finding sources and distilling complex research subjects for a general audience, to tips on how to cover science in authoritarian regimes, the book serves as an essential survey of the best in science reporting today-and a testament to the importance of independent journalistic inquiry in understanding research and building trust with audiences. Drawing insights from writers based at publications including The New York Times, the BBC, The Washington Post, Science, The New Yorker, National Geographic and more, this guide is designed to help journalists everywhere improve their craft and serve as a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the profession at its best.
Introduction / Deborah Blum, Ashley Smart, and Tom Zeller Jr.
Part 1: Foundations
Chapter 1. How Science Works / Nsikan Akpan
Chapter 2. Finding and Vetting Sources / Azeen Ghorashi
Chapter 3. Journals, Peer Review, and Preprints / Ivan Oransky
Chapter 4. Working With Statistics / Maggie Koerth
Chapter 5. Fact Checking / Brooke Borel
Part 2: The Craft of Storytelling
Chapter 6. A Foundation in News / Alicia Chang
Chapter 7. Story Structure / Deborah Blum
Chapter 8. Audio Storytelling / Elana Gordon
Chapter 9. Film and Video Storytelling / Ian Cheney
Chapter 10, Multimedia Storytelling / Jeffery DelViscio
Chapter 11. Data Storytelling / Charles Seife
Chapter 12. Opinion Writing / Bina Venkataraman
Chapter 13. Magazine Writing / Paige Williams
Chapter 14 Book Writing / Dan Fagin
Part 3: Investigative Journalism
Chapter 15. Investigative Science Journalism / Katherine Eban
Chapter 16. Accessing Public Records / Michael Morisy
Chapter 17. The Art of the Interview / Pallab Ghosh
Chapter 18. Cybersecurity and Protecting Sources / Andrada Fiscutean
Chapter 19. The Public Information Machine / James Glanz
Part 4: Covering Science Beats
Chapter 20. Medicine / Sabriya Rice
Chapter 21. Infectious Diseases / Helen Branswell
Chapter 22. Public Health / Julia Belluz
Chapter 23. Social Sciences / Sujata Gupta
Chapter 24. Science and Justice / Rod McCullom
Chapter 25. Physics / Ashley Smart
Chapter 26. Genetics / Antonio Regalado
Chapter 27. Technology / Megan Molteni
Chapter 28. Space / Nadia Drake
Chapter 29. Climate / Sarah Kaplan
Chapter 30. Conservation and Wildlife / Rachel Nuwer
Chapter 31. Earth Sciences / Betsy Mason
Chapter 32. Mathematics / Jennifer Ouellette
Chapter 33. Science Policy / Dan Vergano
Chapter 34. Artificial Intelligence / Matthew Hutson
Chapter 35. Cybersecurity and National Security / Kim Zetter
Part 5: Metrics, Models, and Marketing
Chapter 36. New Models for Science Media / Thomas Lin
Chapter 37. Measuring Success in Science Journalism / Kate Travis
Chapter 38. Social Media in Science Journalism / Liz Neporent
Chapter 39 Building Trust and Navigating Mistrust / Apoorva Mandavilli
Chapter 40 Marketing Your Stories / Jason Penchoff
Part 6: The Global Picture
Chapter 41. Narrative Reporting Abroad / Martin Enserink
Chapter 42. Reporting in Authoritarian Regimes / Richard Stone
Chapter 43. Collaborative Journalism Across Borders / Iván Carrillo
Chapter 44. Reporting in the Global South / Esther Nakkazi
Epilogue: Stay Curious and Question Everything / Tom Zeller Jr.
Resources
Deborah Blum is the Director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT and publisher of Undark magazine. She is a Pulitzer-prize-winning American science journalist, columnist, and author of six books, most recently the 2018 New York Times Notable Book, The Poison Squad.
Ashley Smart is the Associate Director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT and a senior editor at Undark magazine. He was previously the features editor at Physics Today magazine and a co-founder of the science news blog HBSciU.com.
Tom Zeller, Jr. is a former Knight Science Journalism Fellow (2013-14) and the editor-in-chief of Undark Magazine. Previously he spent two decades covering technology, energy policy, climate change, and the environment for a variety of publications, including 12 years as a staff writer and editor at The New York Times.
"A treasure trove of advice from some of the best in the business, this book is an invaluable guide for anyone looking to submerge themselves in the rich, complex, and demanding world of science journalism."
– Ed Yong, Pulitzer-Prize winning science writer for The Atlantic and best-selling author of I Contain Multitudes
"An essential and knowing companion for students, instructors, and professionals alike, the book treats readers to a diverse array of beautifully written expert perspectives about science journalism."
– Mariette DiChristina, Dean and Professor of Practice, School of Communications, Boston University
