✍️Science Writing News Roundup #224
Using open data to sharpen science stories + Evidence-based reporting tools and tips for 2025.
Using Open Data to Sharpen Science Stories: Alice Fleerackers writes about how “open” research datasets often make it easier for journalists to know a dataset’s limitations and strengths and put the research in context. But, she writes, “journalists aren’t widely utilizing the vast troves of freely accessible data that researchers and organizations share online.” (Photo by NASA on Unsplash)
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📝Articles
The media needs to show how the climate crisis is fueling the LA wildfires: With few exceptions, the news has shied away from showing how the unfolding climate crisis plays a large role in the disaster.
The people fighting to get through to anti-science Americans: ‘It’s just talking to each other’. As science misinformation takes hold in the White House, those seeking to set the record straight need to meet people where they are.
Health impact of California wildfires to be felt for years to come: As California faces an uncertain future with climate change, accurate and responsible reporting on the health impacts of wildfires will be more important than ever.
Does fact-checking work? What the science says. Meta’s planned shift away from third-party fact-checking on Facebook in favor of a crowdsourced approach has perplexed those who study the spread of misinformation.
How Mongabay Exposes Threats to the Environment and Indigenous Communities: Mongabay — which honors that island with its name — recently celebrated 25 years of impactful watchdog reporting on forests, climate, and endangered ecosystems, as well as its growth to a dozen languages and more than five million monthly readers.
Making Ourselves Heard. There is no denying it: Today’s information landscape is punctuated by an increased mistrust of science, a partisan political climate, and a cacophony of social media voices. Public health experts must shout—strategically— in order to be heard.
The Conversation is trying to make its academia-fueled model work for local news. The initiative is funded by a three-year, $1.27 million grant from the Knight Foundation. It launched in January 2024 in four markets — Colorado, Philadelphia, Detroit, and South Florida.
Discovering the world of agricultural genomics: Javier Barbuzano’s journey at CRAG. Javier Pérez Barbuzano, a freelance science journalist, has recently completed his residency at The Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics as part of the FRONTIERS program, a European Research Council-funded initiative that promotes immersive experiences for journalists within research institutions.
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🖇News
AGU is now accepting nominations for its 2025 Journalism Awards, which honor outstanding reporting in the Earth and space sciences published in the previous year (1 January – 31 December 2024). The deadline is 31 March at 11:59 p.m. ET.
🔍Videos & Podcasts
Environmental Stories of a Science Journalist with Priyanka Runwal.
Interview: Journalist Ira Flatow discusses the past, present and future of Science Friday.
Press Briefing: How the LA Wildfires Are Fueled by Climate Change.
A New U.S. President and New Nuclear Weapons: A Global Perspective.
Whose story are we hearing anyway? In this episode of The Storyology Podcast, we hear about what happens when science and story meet in the news media.
💡Resources
Evidence-based reporting tools and tips for 2025: SciLine has produced a new, free toolkit for newsrooms as they prepare to cover a barrage of issues stemming from the change in presidential administration in which scientific consensus will be challenged and misinformation is likely to proliferate.
More resources, opportunities and calls for pitches 👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
⏲Events
The Arab Forum of Science Media and Communication (January 27 - 28, 2025)
Science essentials for local reporters (January 29, 2025)
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👩🏻💻Jobs
Environmental Journalist - Contract at Anthropocene Alliance (Remote)
Research and Project Manager at Anthropocene Alliance (New Orleans, LA)
More job opportunities 👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
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