Science Journalism Practices

If we truly want to do more than preach to the choir, we must speak the language of the lay public. Unless you've had formal media training, you’re often left to figure this out on your own. So here are a few guiding principles: 1️⃣ Less is More When we write papers, we love every detail. But when communicating to the public, keep it short and sweet—just the essentials and a clear call to action 2️⃣ Avoid Defensive Writing We live in an age of “caveat overload.” Scientists often hedge every statement to preempt criticism. That doesn’t work in public communication. 3️⃣ Use Simple Language Aim for a 6th-grade reading level. Big words aren’t badges of intelligence—they’re barriers to understanding. 4️⃣ Make Statistics Human-Friendly Avoid percentages when you can express them more intuitively: ✅ Say: “8 in 10 people…” ❌ Don’t say: “80% prevalence” Also, instead of saying ❌ “The odds of XYZ were 1.80 times higher among group A than B in the cross-sectional study,” simplify as: ✅"Group A was 80% more likely to report XYZ than Group B based on survey data." Clarity sometimes requires sacrificing a little scientific precision. That’s okay—impact trumps jargon. 5️⃣ Visuals Work—Just Keep Them Simple Stick to: 👉Pie charts 👉Bar graphs 👉Trend lines 👉Or use illustrations—e.g., highlight 8 out of 10 stick figures. 6️⃣Stick to your Single Overriding Communication Objective (SOCO). Especially with journalists, don’t stray into speculation or personal opinion. If you're representing an agency, remember: 👉 “CDC shocked by results!” could become a headline even if you didn’t say it directly. Always circle back to your SOCO. 7️⃣ Don’t List Personal Contact Info In press releases, always refer inquiries to your organization’s press office. Let them manage engagement—even if you move on, responses will still be handled. 8️⃣ Simplify Without Sounding Unprofessional Using accessible language doesn’t mean becoming casual or sloppy. Don’t say: “Half the kids were smokers” Instead: “One in two adolescents reported smoking in the past 30 days.” Professional tone matters—even when simplifying. 9️⃣ Use a Hook Your title should draw people in. In scientific journals, we avoid declarative titles. But in media communications, you want your title to pop: 🟢 “Youth Smoking Reaches Decade-High” 🟢 “Progress in Tobacco Control Stalls in 2024” 🔟 Emphasize Results Over Methods Scientific audiences love methods. But for public-facing content, highlight the results first. Keep key methodology minimal: 🧑🧑🧒 Who was studied? 🌎 Where? 📅 When? Leave the regression models, weighting techniques, and confidence intervals. You can always link to the full article. 🎯Final Word Effective science communication is a skill. Done well, it builds trust, bridges knowledge gaps, and brings the public closer to science. Let’s do the work to make our message clear—and make our work matter. #PlainLanguage #PrecisionVsClarityTradeOff #PublicHealth #HealthLiteracy #MediaTraining

📰 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚, 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭! This week’s #TuesdaySciCommFind is The Open Notebook (TON), a resource entirely dedicated to improving science journalism. 💡 Whether you’re pitching your first story, refining an article, or just curious how others tackle the craft, TON provides guidance based on real-world journalism experience: 📍 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 – see how published science features were researched, structured, and written 📍 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞 – examples of successful pitches to real editors 📍 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 – free, online science journalism courses 📍 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 – The Craft of Science Writing (pictured below), the ultimate guide for science journalists (https://lnkd.in/eB43ua35) 🌍 I love TON because it makes the craft of science journalism accessible to anyone who understands English (or Spanish!), anywhere in the world. 🔗 Here's a short guide on how to navigate the multitude of TON resources: https://lnkd.in/eJPpcmed. 🎂 Happy birthday, The Open Notebook! They recently celebrated their 15th anniversary. ❓ What’s one resource, book, or community that has shaped your approach to writing about science? The Open Notebook | Siri Carpenter #SciComm #ScienceJournalism #TheOpenNotebook

Why Journalists Matter in Health Communication in Nigeria, by Abujah Racheal When I started covering health, I was told I wouldn’t last, “You won’t understand the science,” they said. And honestly, they were right at first. The jargon was overwhelming, the terms like a foreign language. But I kept showing up, learning from experts like Chikwe Ihekweazu , then DG of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention who patiently corrected me after every interview. I was also blessed with people like Oyeronke Oyebanji his technical adviser, whose father was a journalist. She understood both worlds, health and media, and walked this journey with me, offering support when the science felt like a mountain. She remains one of my pillars. Health experts may hold the knowledge, but journalists are the bridge. We translate science into everyday language, hold leaders accountable, and bring hidden stories to light. In a country where misinformation spreads faster than facts, our credibility can mean the difference between life and death. In Nigeria, experts often overshadow journalists. They issue jargon-filled press releases, expecting copy-and-paste coverage. Worse, many now bypass traditional media for social media, leaving rural communities, which rely on radio and newspapers, completely uninformed. The result? Policies are announced online while the people who need them most remain in the dark. Just as I cannot walk into a hospital and treat patients, experts should not try to take over journalism. Our roles are different but complementary. Train us, support us, but let us do our work. Journalists are not competition to “communication platforms”; we are the credible voice that carries truth to the people. With only 5 years left to achieve the SDGs, most Nigerians still don’t understand these goals or their roles as citizens. That won’t change if journalists are sidelined. Health journalism requires persistence, humility, and continuous learning, but it must also be respected. If we could learn the science, then we could explain it. And when we do, we save lives