Title:
The craft of science writing : selections from The Open Notebook
Added Author:
Edition:
Expanded edition.
Publication Date:
2024
Publication Information:
Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2024.
©2024
Physical Description:
357 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
ISBN:
9780226830278
9780226830292
Abstract:
"Science journalism has perhaps never been so critical to our world and the demands on science journalists have never been greater. On any given day, a science journalist might need to explain the details of genetic engineering, analyze a development in climate change research, or serve as a watchdog helping to ensure the integrity of the scientific enterprise. And science writers have to spin tales seductive enough to keep readers hooked to the end, despite the endless other delights just a click away. How does one do it? Here, in a second edition, is a collection of indispensable articles on the craft of science writing as told by some of the most skillful science journalists working today. These selections are a wealth of journalistic knowledge from The Open Notebook, the online community that has been a primary resource for science journalists and aspiring science writers since 2010. Meet a crew of accomplished, encouraging friends to whisper over your shoulder as you work. In these pages, you'll find interviews with leading journalists offering behind-the-scenes inspiration, as well as in-depth essays on the craft offering practical advice on topics such as the following: how to make the transition into science writing; how to find and pitch a science story to editors; how to wade through technicalities in scientific papers to spot key facts; how to evaluate scientific and statistical claims, including in preprints; how to consider questions of sensitivity and diversity, equity, and inclusion; how to build and keep up with a beat; how to structure a science story, from short news to long features; and how to engage readers in a science story and hold their attention to the end"-- Provided by publisher.
Contents:
Introduction / Siri Carpenter -- Part I. Who is a science journalist and how do you become one? How to use reporting skills from any beat for science journalism / Aneri Pattani -- Trading the pipette for the pen : transitioning from science to science writing / Julia Rosen -- Do you need a science degree to be a science reporter? / Aneri Pattani -- How to break into English-language media as a non-native-English speaker / Humberto Basilio -- Feeling like a fraud : the impostor phenomenon in science writing / Sandeep Ravindran -- What is science journalism worth? / Kendall Powell -- Nice niche : how to build and keep up with a beat / Knvul Sheikh -- A conversation with Amy Maxmen on "How the fight against Ebola tested a culture's traditions" / Amanda Mascarelli -- Part 2. What makes a science story and how do you find one? Is this a story? : how to evaluate your ideas before you pitch / Mallory Pickett -- Sharpening ideas : from topic to story / Dan Ferber -- Critically evaluating claims / Megha Satyanarayana -- Finding the science in any story / Kate Morgan -- Pitching errors : how not to pitch / Laura Helmuth -- Five ways to sink a pitch / Siri Carpenter -- What makes a good pitch? : annotations from the TON pitch database / Roxanne Khamsi -- A conversation with Kathryn Schulz on "The really big one" / Michelle Nijhuis -- Part 3. How do you report a science story? Is anyone out there? : sourcing news stories / Geoffrey Giller -- Interviewing for career-spanning profiles / Alla Katsnelson -- How to conduct difficult interviews / Mallory Pickett -- Including diverse voices in science stories / Christina Selby -- How to find patient stories on social media / Katherine J. Wu -- Pulling it all together : organizing reporting notes / Sarah Zhang -- Gut check : working with a sensitivity reader / Jane C. Hu -- When science reporting takes an emotional toll / Wudan Yan -- A conversation with Annie Waldman on "How hospitals are failing Black mothers" / Tasneem Raja -- Part 4. How do you tell your story?. Good beginnings : how to write a lede your editor and your readers will love / Robin Meadows -- Nailing the nut graf / Tina Casagrand Foss -- How to find and use quotes in science stories / Abdullahi Tsanni -- Like being there : how science writers use sensory detail / Jyoti Madhusoodanan -- Eradicating ableist language yields more accurate and more humane journalism / Marion Renault -- Good endings : how to write a kicker your editor and your readers will love / Robin Meadows -- The first critic is you : editing your own work / Tiên Nguyễn -- A conversation with Linda Nordling on "How decolonization could reshape South African science" / Jeanne Erdmann -- Part 5. How do you build expertise in science writing? How to read a scientific paper / Alexandra Witze -- What are the odds? : reporting on risk / Jane C. Hu -- Spotting shady statistics / Rachel Zamzow -- Problems with preprints : covering rough-draft manuscripts responsibly / Roxanne Khamsi -- Getting the most out of scientific conferences / Rodrigo Pérez Ortega -- Interrogating data : a science writers guide to data journalism / Betsy Ladyzhets -- Explaining complexity / Carl Zimmer -- How to do a close read / Siri Carpenter -- A conversation with Maggie Koerth on "The complicated legacy of a panda who was really good at sex" / Ed Yong.
Language:
English
Added Uniform Title:
Open Notebook (Website)
