Science Writing Gets Social
What happens when journalism becomes a conversation
Nancy Shute
Science and Mass Media 2010
Oslo, Norway
March 24, 2010
The good old days of science journalism
• We wrote, they listened.
• Researchers returned our phone calls.
• We controlled both the data and the publishing platform.
Now science journalism
is exploding.
Traditional science news outlets are losing audience
Source: Pew State of the News Media 2010
Nobody’s making money in journalism
Source: Pew State of the News Media 2010
“There is a large audience for science, … [but] we are sitting here under a cloud of anxiety about the survival of our species.
“I feel as if I’m running for my life.”
-- Laura Chang, science editor, New York TimesReported in CJR, July 2, 2009
Social media is sparking an explosion
of new forms of science writing
New “publishers”are distributing science news
Science writers are using social media to:
• Find sources.
• Follow news in real time.
• Track trends.
• Publish themselves.
• Talk with each other.
Find and cultivate sources
• Use Facebook and Twitter to find out what sources are thinking and doing.
• Use their networks and lists to find others.
• Thank sources publicly, so they’re more willing to feed you good stuff.
Follow news in real time
• Use Twitter #hashtags to track specific subjects: #earthquake#geology #cosmology #evolution.
• Cover meetings remotely: #sciwri09
• Report at the scene from your mobile using Twitter apps, audio, and video.
Track trends
• Graph Twitter traffic to gauge public interest.
• Use social bookmarking sites to follow readers’ recommendations on science news.
• Track popular science videos on YouTube.
Science journalists are publishing themselves
• Launch micropublishing businesses using blogs and social media.
• Use blogs and personal websites to research, write and publicize books.
• Use Facebook and Twitter as microblogging platforms.
Science journalists are building new networks
• Using Twitter to read and critique each other in real time.
• Debating the radically changing nature of science journalism.
• Figuring out the path to a sustainable future.
Let’s continue the conversation
• Come to the National Association of Science Writers meeting, Nov 4-6, 2010, at Yale University, New Haven, Ct. http://www.sciencewriters2010.org/
• Come to the World Conference of Science Journalists, June 27-29 2011, Cairo. http://wcsj2011.org/
More on science journalism and social media
Mashable.comReadwriteweb.comPaidcontent.orgPoynter.org (e-media tidbits)CJR.org (The Observatory column on science journalism) • People with useful takes on journalism and new media:
JayRosen: @jayrosen_nyuDanGillmor: @dangillmorClay Shirky: @cshirkyJeff Jarvis: @jeffjarvis
Questions?
Find these slides at:slideshare.com/nancyshute
Find me at:nancy(at)nancyshute.com
nancyshute.comusnews.com/blogs/on-parenting
twitter.com/nancyshute
