A Tactical Guide to Science Journalism Lessons From the Front Lines

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.

Deborah Blum is 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 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.