1 Science Writing for the Arizona Daily Sun A PowerPoint Presentation by Emily Litvack Mentored by Randy Wilson

2 What have I learned? Science writing requires some deviations from traditional reporting methods Accurate, effective communication of complex ideas in science = the greatest challenge

3 Getting to know my reader Who is my reader? What do they care about? How should I approach this story?

4 A headline anecdote Too specific Too wordy

5 Mastering the fine art of not wasting time s Research Take thorough interview notes

6 Making the inverted pyramid work for you What is it? Why do we use it? Why is it problematic for science writers? How can we make it work?

7 Understanding balance All sides of the story Tom Siegfried, science editor for the Dallas Morning News, once wrote that balance in science writing would require that every space-related story include a comment from the Flat Earth Society (Siegfried, 2006, p. 15). A balanced report can be an imbalance of what science has found → the reader loses

8 Admitting you don’t know it all Fact-checking with scientists directly A cardinal difference between science reporter ethics and other reporter ethics

9 Impact on the scientific community and public sphere The goal : Increasing public trust in the scientific process, scientists, and the news media How to do it : Accountability

10 Acknowledgments My mentor at the AZ Daily Sun, Randy Wilson NAU/NASA Space Grant Program Arizona Space Grant Consortium