Null results—those that contradict a study’s original hypothesis or fail to find a cause-and-effect link between variables—can be easy to dismiss as non-news but may lead to valuable stories that show non-linear progress in science. Journalists can learn where to find null results, how to gauge their newsworthiness and real-world implications, and identify how they fit into larger research trends, many times contradicting what was thought to be true. The post Covering Null Results: How ...| The Open Notebook
Plenty of important science stories happen in communities where some people, for a variety of valid reasons, might be hesitant to talk to journalists coming from outside their borders or culture. That hesitation doesn’t always mean they have no interest in sharing their stories more broadly. Covering these stories takes patience, care, and diligent research—not to mention humility—but they can also highlight issues that need addressing and speak to broader trends in society.| The Open Notebook
Since the second Trump administration took office, news on how the nation’s leaders are systematically dismantling the practice of science in the U.S. has arrived in a daily deluge. In this roundtable discussion, five journalists share their strategies for choosing stories, balancing science and politics in their reporting, working with hesitant sources, and navigating an information landscape that’s constantly shifting. The post Roundtable: How to Cover Science During Sociopolitical Disr...| The Open Notebook
People, companies, and government agencies don’t always return your phone calls. To investigate secretive subjects, reporters can make creative use of documents that are out in the open. Lawsuits, Instagram posts, tax records, and disciplinary records—to name just a few publicly available sources of information—can reveal a lot about who’s in trouble and who’s making money off whom. With persistence and discernment, journalists can piece together all kinds of stories from the public...| The Open Notebook
The Q&A story format allows writers to act as mediums between experts and audiences, tackling both broad and nuanced topics and exploring through conversation the expert’s story, thought processes, and accumulated knowledge. But preparing, steering, and editing an interview as a stand-alone article poses challenges—and opportunities—that differ from those of a typical news story. The post Crafting Clear and Conversational Q&As appeared first on The Open Notebook.| The Open Notebook
Changing a name is a very personal decision. Unfortunately for trans journalists, it’s a decision that has to occur in public. Changing a byline can mitigate the abuse and harassment that trans journalists routinely face and help them honor their gender identity. Amid an increasingly hostile environment for trans people, their perspectives and stories have never been more important. Here are some strategies for staying safe and maintaining well-being while changing your byline as a trans jo...| The Open Notebook
Dementia affects more than 57 million people worldwide, yet media coverage often reduces these experiences to either tragic narratives or false promises of cures. Journalists instead should center the experiences of people with dementia, skeptically navigate the complexity of Alzheimer’s research, and avoid harmful stereotypes. Through compassion and nuance, reporters can portray the reality of dementia as a complex lived experience filled with challenges, adaptation, dignity, and hope. The...| The Open Notebook
