To quote the late Anthony Tucker, former science editor of the British newspaper The Guardian,
"science writers, like all other journalists, must have an insatiable
appetite for reading, and the best are endowed with a memory like a
filing cabinet." To that I would add they must also have child-like curiosity about the world around them, and how it works.
Getting started
There is no single designated pathway into science journalism. Great science writers such as Walter Sullivan of the New York Times,
as well as many of the current science writers on leading newspapers in
all parts of the world, were self-taught, at least as far as their
writing ability is concerned.
There are, however,
certain recognised ways of getting started. Today, one of the best —
and, in some developed countries at least, almost essential — ways to
start is through a journalism course or degree at a recognised institution.
This need not
necessarily focus on the specific needs of science journalists, although
an increasing number of courses are doing so. In India, for example,
the National Council for Science and Technology Communication under the
Ministry of Science has sponsored postgraduate degree and diploma
courses in science and technology communication. These have been started
in a few universities.
Recruiters, however,
do not always insist on degrees or diplomas in science journalism. They
mostly look for a zeal for science writing and the ability to write
science stories in a way that the general public can understand.
It also helps if the
applicant for a science writing post has written articles about science
during his or her college days. Prospective employers like to see what
you have written. Keeping a portfolio of your achievements and published
work — no matter how small or 'local' the journal or paper, even if it
is a student newspaper — could help you get your first job.
Different
organisations have different ways of recruiting. For example, the
leading Indian news agency, the Press Trust of India (PTI), annually
recruits trainee science journalists.
Trainees are selected after a written test to evaluate their writing skills and an interview.
This approach seems
to be successful; no one recruited by PTI has left science journalism in
15 years. After gaining experience in the agency several of them have
become fully-fledged science correspondents of national dailies,
television channels and prominent international science and environment
feature services such the PANOS Institute.
Building your own knowledge base
It used to be the
case that a competent journalist could cover any story that was put
before of him or her. This does not always hold true in today's world,
where scientific discoveries that often need a least some understanding
to explain effectively are being made every day. Indeed some fields are
expanding so quickly that even the experts in that field have trouble
keeping up.
How does this affect
you as a potential science reporter? Arming yourself with a basic degree
in science, providing it is not too narrow, is highly recommended. It
gives you a base on which to build your scientific knowledge. A general
knowledge of most fields is required on a science beat. Science is not a
static field, and new knowledge is generated every day. A good science
reporter must be willing to constantly update his or her knowledge.
You will certainly
not be able to spot a breaking science story on your own unless you
remain up-to-date with what is happening in science in general. On any
given day, a science writer may be asked to cover a space launch at
dawn, a suspected disease epidemic in the city during the day and interview a visiting Nobel laureate in physics in the evening.
This does not mean
you need to be a specialist. But specialisation has its advantages as
well. For example, it gives you easier access to scientists' circles.
Scientists often feel reluctant to talk 'off the record' to a 'strange'
reporter with whom they do not feel comfortable. They
may fear that anything they say will be taken to be the official stance
of the company or government institution that they work for. As a
result, news from such sources is frequently obtained not on official
basis but at a personal level.
One consequence is that if you have specialised in a particular area of science, you may have a better chance of making personal contact
with a scientist in that field than a general reporter who may not be
able to converse with the same level of background understanding of the
way that science operates and the way that scientists think.
Such scientific
contacts are usually built up on a basis of personal trust over many
years and often involve life-long friendships. This is one of the
important aspects of successful science journalism. The sooner you start
to build up your contacts, the better it will be for you.
Getting a good story
Some of the best
exclusive stories are the result of a combination of an alert mind, an
aptitude for investigative work, and up-to-date knowledge about latest
developments in science and technology.
A good science
reporter must know how to get news, and from where. In Western
countries, science reporters are usually flooded with news releases,
reports and background material from research laboratories, universities
and private organisations. These institutions usually have press
officers who are eager to help a reporter who has taken the trouble of
contacting them.
Reporters are also
invited to scientific meetings and conferences. Also, the Internet makes
life even easier; the news is sent directly to your email inbox, and
there are a number of search engines and other sources available.
In developing
countries, many things are different. Reporters in these countries
frequently do not have such resources readily available. This obviously
makes the task of collecting news harder. Furthermore new communications
technologies may have not made any difference to the way news —
including science news — is disseminated, a difference that will impact
directly on the science reporter.
Firstly, there are
very few organised outlets of science news. The science reporter is
unlikely to be handed ready-made science stories. Furthermore, clues
about developing science news are not easily forthcoming, due partly to
the absence of press officers.
In most developing
countries, only a handful of companies have media relations units.
Rather than publishing news releases about the hard science going on in
their institutions, the tendency is to focus on speeches and inaugural
talks by ministers, company executives, and science administrators.
Secondly, a high proportion of research in developing countries is carried out in government
laboratories whose scientists are governed by rules of conduct that
prevent them from talking to reporters without permission from their
'bosses'. The news usually given out by these agencies is what the
government wants people to know.
For example, if the
space department for a country issues a news release of a successful
rocket launch, information will be readily available. But if you have
questions to ask about a failed launch, answers will be less
forthcoming.
These two hurdles may
not help the growth of healthy and vibrant science coverage by the
media in general. But individual science reporters with the initiative
and the nose for news can turn these drawbacks into their advantage.
For example, a lack
of formal science news outlets, and an inadequate number of press
officers, both mean that a lot of science news is just waiting to be
picked up and turned into exclusive story by the reporters who find them
first.
I once stumbled on a
two-line statement in an institute report that said its scientists are
working on an "immunological approach to contraception." Further probing
revealed that they were using a hormone from placenta to prevent mice
from getting pregnant — a potential birth control vaccine in the making.
Had there been a press officer in the institute, they probably would
not have answered my questions, and I would have lost this exclusive
story.
Where to look for jobs
Even in this Internet
age, newspapers are still the best bet to look for work. Almost all the
major dailies contain science supplements, for which they require a
dedicated writing staff. Regional papers are also a potential job market
for science reporters. New entrants are usually taken on as sub-editors
or junior reporters rather than feature writers.
Another place to look
is television. The growth in satellite and cable TV has led to the
formation of many independent TV production companies. Although few of
these are wholly dedicated to science programming, most produce the
occasional scientific programme, usually for a mainstream audience.
These companies generally employ journalists who also double as
researchers, writers and producers.
Radio journalism is a
third avenue that is worth exploring, although it has been dwarfed by
the popularity of TV and satellite. Other fields include technical
writing in the science fields, as well as in specialist fields such as
information technology and biotechnology.
Freelance work
Then there is
freelancing. Most journalists do some freelance work outside their
salaried jobs, with permission from employers. A large number of science
writers in India are self-employed and make their living through
freelancing for domestic or foreign publications, although it is usually
only possible to make a reasonable living in this way if you have
already spent several years gaining experience in a full-time position
and building up a reputation.
Most technical
publications, as well as the science sections of some national
newspapers, accept a certain amount of freelance material. Once they
accept an article from you, they may come back for more. But, as one
seasoned freelance science writer puts it, "it is very difficult to make
editors accept good science stories as a freelancer."
