Colloquium – George Musser (Scientific American) The Science-Journalism Duality: Behind the Scenes at Scientific American

Tuesday, October 25, 2016 – 4:00pm to 5:00pm

1080 Physics Research Building – Smith Seminar Room – reception at 3:45pm in the Atrium

How did a (mostly) contented grad student running geophysical convection simulations wind up as a gatekeeper between science and the public? In this talk I’ll try to give a sense of what motivates science writers and editors, what exactly it is that we do, how we are navigating the turbulence in the publishing industry, and what it all means for the broader scientific community. I’ll naturally focus on Scientific American and other publications I’ve worked for, but I’ll comment on broader trends and offer thoughts and tips of use not just for writing a magazine article, but for any other writing or communications project you take on. One of the thorniest issues that science journalists face is how to make sense of scientific disagreements and avoid pitfalls such as false balance. I’ll offer some remarks, but I’m also interested in your thoughts and advice for how we journalists might do better.