Science and Technology Journalist Course

Lesson 1 • The Science-Media Relationship

Examines how scientists and journalists perceive each other and where tensions arise. Students learn to navigate institutional pressures from both sides.

Lesson 2 • Audience Literacy and Expectations

Maps the spectrum of public science literacy and how it shapes story framing. Students calibrate complexity and tone for different audience segments.

Lesson 3 • Core Ethical Principles

Introduces accuracy, independence, communication transparency, and harm minimisation as guiding values. Students apply these principles to real editorial dilemmas.

Lesson 4 • Brief History of the Field

Traces science journalism from early popular science magazines to digital-native outlets. Contextualises current practices within historical shifts in media and science.

Lesson 1 • Evaluating Study Quality

Introduces hierarchies of evidence and common methodological flaws. Students can rank studies by reliability and flag weak evidence before publishing.

Lesson 2 • Statistical Literacy for Journalists

Covers probability, confidence intervals, p-values, and effect sizes at a practical level. Students translate statistical language into accurate, reader-friendly prose.

Lesson 3 • How Scientific Research Works

Explains the research cycle from hypothesis to publication and peer review. Provides the structural knowledge needed to interrogate any study journalists encounter.

Lesson 4 • Recognising Junk Science

Identifies red flags in predatory journals, press releases, and fringe research. Students apply a rapid credibility checklist before pursuing a story.

Lesson 1 • Conducting the Interview

Develops active listening, follow-up probing, and jargon-clarification techniques. Students practise extracting plain-language explanations from technical experts.

Lesson 2 • Preparing for a Science Interview

Teaches background research, question design, and technical vocabulary preparation. Thorough preparation enables journalists to challenge evasive or overstated answers.

Lesson 3 • Independent Expert Commentary

Explains why and how to seek reaction from scientists not involved in the study. Students learn to present independent perspectives without false balance.

Lesson 4 • Handling Difficult Source Dynamics

Addresses source pressure, off-the-record requests, and institutional gatekeeping. Students protect editorial independence while maintaining productive source relationships.

Lesson 1 • Accuracy Checking and Fact-Verification

Establishes a systematic pre-publication verification workflow for science stories. Students catch errors in numbers, claims, and attributions before submission.

Lesson 2 • Story Selection and News Judgment

Applies newsworthiness criteria to scientific developments and research findings. Students distinguish genuinely significant science from hype-driven press releases.

Lesson 3 • Writing Leads and Headlines

Teaches how to open a science story with accuracy, clarity, and reader engagement. Students write leads that hook without overstating findings.

Lesson 4 • Structuring a Science News Story

Covers inverted pyramid, narrative, and explainer structures for science content. Students select the appropriate structure based on story type and intended audience.

Lesson 1 • Technology and Innovation Reporting

Teaches critical evaluation of tech claims, hype cycles, and corporate science narratives. Students distinguish genuine innovation from marketing-driven announcements.

Lesson 2 • Cross-Beat Science Stories

Develops skills for stories that span multiple beats, such as climate-health or tech-environment intersections. Students integrate expertise from multiple domains into unified narratives.

Lesson 3 • Environmental and Climate Reporting

Addresses scientific consensus, uncertainty communication, and solutions journalism in climate coverage. Students report climate science without false balance or alarmism.

Lesson 4 • Space and Astronomy Reporting

Covers mission reporting, discovery verification, and the challenge of cosmic scale communication. Students contextualise space findings for general intended audiences.

Lesson 1 • Document and Data Investigation

Covers public records requests, leaked documents, and large dataset analysis for science investigations. Students build an evidence base that withstands editorial and legal scrutiny.

Lesson 2 • Identifying Investigative Targets

Teaches how to spot patterns of misconduct, suppressed data, and institutional cover-ups. Students develop a nose for stories hidden behind official scientific narratives.

Lesson 3 • Scientific Misconduct Reporting

Addresses fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and questionable research practices. Students report misconduct allegations fairly while protecting due process.

Lesson 4 • Publishing and Protecting Investigations

Covers legal risk assessment, editorial verification standards, and source protection for investigations. Students prepare a publishable investigation package with supporting documentation.

Lesson 1 • Social Media Science Communication

Develops platform-specific strategies for sharing science journalism accurately and engagingly. Students adapt long-form stories into social content without losing accuracy.

Lesson 2 • Audience Engagement and Analytics

Teaches how to use engagement data to refine science storytelling without chasing clicks. Students balance audience metrics with editorial integrity.

Lesson 3 • Video Science Journalism

Introduces shooting, scripting, and editing techniques for science explainer videos. Students apply visual storytelling to make abstract science tangible.

Lesson 4 • Data Visualisation for Science Stories

Teaches chart selection, design principles, and accuracy standards for scientific data. Students create visualisations that clarify rather than distort complex findings.

Lesson 1 • Freelance and Staff Career Paths

Compares freelance and staff science journalism models, including income diversification strategies. Students map a realistic career trajectory based on their goals.

Lesson 2 • Building a Science Journalism Beat

Guides students in defining a specialist beat, cultivating sources, and establishing authority. A well-defined beat creates consistent story flow and professional recognition.

Lesson 3 • Editorial Independence Under Pressure

Addresses advertiser influence, institutional pressure, and editorial interference in science coverage. Students develop strategies to protect journalistic independence.

Lesson 4 • Continuing Professional Development

Maps resources for ongoing science literacy, journalism skills, and industry network growth. Students build a personal development plan for the first two years post-course.