The Science Beat: Writing from a Warming Planet

Catalog description

In a time of widespread distrust of expertise and institutions, what role can science communicators play in cultivating a better-informed public? With a special focus on covering the climate crisis, this course will equip students to clearly and effectively communicate scientific concepts to a general audience through nonfiction writing. We’ll start with the fundamentals of interviewing, news writing, and journalistic ethics, then move on to narrative techniques that will stretch students to develop their personal voices as storytellers. Students will be encouraged to bring their own experience to the page, since great science writing can provide what we look for in all literature—a sense of connection with others. This is a reading and writing intensive course; in addition to their own reporting, students will read—and reflect critically on—science storytelling in a variety of styles and formats.