✍️Science Writing News Roundup #221
Library of free video footage helps journalists diversify their coverage + Unveiling the art of visual storytelling.
Scientist, journalist and editor Katie Burke joins AHCJ as new environmental health beat leader. Burke has a doctorate in biology and worked as an ecology researcher for seven years before joining the American Scientist where she has been an editor for 12 years. (Image via AHCJ)
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🔍Resources
Library of free video footage helps journalists diversify their coverage. While there are many incredible free footage resources online, it tends to be U.S.- and Europe-centric, making it hard for journalists doing coverage beyond these geographies.
Tips for reporting on the ongoing pertussis outbreak: The United States is in the midst of the largest pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak in a decade, and it hasn’t shown signs of slowing.
🏝️Opportunities
Apply by Jan. 15! The acclaimed MBL Logan Science Journalism fellowships immerse journalists, writers, producers & editors in biomedical or environmental research training. Get invaluable, hands-on experience with scientific discovery in world-renowned Woods Hole! Apply at mbl.edu/sjp (Photo by Barbara Moran)
AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship: This 10-week summer program places science, engineering, and mathematics students at media organizations in the United States. Fellows use their academic training as they research, write, and report today’s headlines, sharpening their abilities to communicate complex scientific issues to the public. Applications are now open and will close January 1, 2025.
The Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East is designed, through a combination of study and specialized training, to help reporters and editors from the region to further develop a successful career in science journalism. Applications for the 2025 fellowship will close on January 15, 2025.
The AAAS Diverse Voices in Science Journalism Internship: The Internship takes place at the Washington, D.C. headquarters of AAAS’s Science magazine, the largest interdisciplinary journal in the world. The program is a paid, 11-week experience, under the guidance of the weekly magazine’s award-winning staff of professional science writers and editors. Applications for Summer 2025 are now open and will close January 10, 2025.
More opportunities and calls for pitches👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
🖨️Articles
Unveiling the art of visual storytelling: perspectives from editors at popular science magazines. An enlightening discussion on the role of visuals in science storytelling took place on Oct. 17 at ScienceWriters2024. Rachel Ehrenberg, editor and writer at Knowable Magazine, organized and moderated the session, which featured Beth Rakouskas, Creative Director at Science magazine, and Jen Christiansen, Senior Graphics Editor at Scientific American.
Nieman Lab Predictions for Journalism, 2025: The media reckons with AGI. “Rather than treat AGI as a fringe concern, we must be proactive and ambitious: taking the possibility seriously, considering the implications, and starting a public, democratic conversation,” writes Shakeel Hashim.
Building trust with sources: seven tips for journalists from ScienceWriters2024. There are many ways to build trust with sources. For some journalists, it means spending hours listening to a source’s story without rushing or interrupting. For others, it requires researching cultural sensitivities or clearly communicating the scope of a story.
NASA experiments offer rare chance to report on health in a new space. Among the various science experiments on board are several directly related to human health, including one related to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, another on growing food in space that’s safe to eat, and another on inflammation, blood clots and immune responses.
More articles 👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
✍️News
Knight Science Journalism Director Deborah Blum Announces Retirement. MIT has launched a national search to identify the next director of the esteemed fellowship program.
Science Friday’s Rasha Aridi Selected for New Fellowship from Outrider Foundation and Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Science Friday, in partnership with Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Outrider Foundation, announced that Producer Rasha Aridi has been named the inaugural Burroughs Wellcome Fund/Outrider Fellow—a new joint venture between Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Outrider Foundation to support Science Friday’s coverage of nuclear arms and climate change, two of the most pressing issues of our time.
Mongabay and The Green Line Highlighted for Their Impactful Journalism. On Dec. 3, Columbia Journalism Review featured the work of the international climate outlet Mongabay. With a whopping 163 stories in the Solutions Story Tracker, it’s one of the most prolific solutions journalism outlets anywhere.
Saugat Bolakhe has been honored with this year’s Science and Technology Journalism Award from the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the country’s highest governmental research institution.
🖼️Videos
Connector Chat: Co-creating science stories with your audience.
Telling Stories about Science: How to Do It, Why It Matters - Erin Bow.
What to do when you've been sued, with freelance journalist Lisa Kwon.
What Kennedy could do: Reporting on U.S. vaccine policy and the powers of the HHS Secretary.
Are Young Children Falling Behind? Young kids are struggling in school as the long shadow of the pandemic continues to disrupt classrooms.
🗓️Events
🎄Jobs
Happy Holidays! Thanks for reading!
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