21W.778 Class Home

21W.778 Science Journalism

Spring 2009

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Instructor: Russ Rymer

Seminar: MF 3-4:30

Information:

21W.778: Science Journalism – The Long and Short of Science Writing

In article after essay after book, writers from Natalie Angier to Richard Preston to Michael Pollan are confirming and elevating the popularity of science writing. What are the secrets of their craft? What role does science journalism play in a society whose success relies on scientific literacy? And what is the essential connection between lay science journalism and the pursuit of science itself?

This course will explore these questions through hands-on practice with the form. Classes will be conducted as seminar, with heavy emphasis on student writing. We'll discuss selected articles by practicing journalists, and you will write your own pieces, which will be critiqued by the class. Analysis of newspaper format (and the production of a reported news story) will proceed into consideration of longer and more complex forms (and the production of a feature article). There we'll encounter the issues involved in subjective presentation of hard science. How can a writer use creative, interpretive techniques to accurately impart the meaning of science to a larger audience? How does one find a good story, organize it, deal with sources, check the veracity of facts and principles, employ appropriate descriptive license to bring science alive without getting it wrong? What exactly is “long-form” journalism, anyway?

We'll also talk about how journalism is done—how to sell stories and books, what role editors and agents play, how to write a proposal and deliver a pitch. In the process, we'll grasp how the descriptive space and creative leeway of long-form journalism allows a writer to honor the subtlety of science, and to describe scientists at work, science as process, and science as shaper of our world and world view.

This class is open to anyone who wants to engage in science writing as a practitioner, not as a mere observer. No prior exposure or experience is required, but students should consider before the semester starts what specific subjects they might like to write about. Techniques and perspectives will be imparted in class, but a topic for the long magazine assignment must originate with the individual student. Early in the semester, you will be asked to present to the class your ideas for a possible science feature story. Reading will include a selection of science-oriented magazine features. Please see Announcements for more information on assignments.

Announcements

CLASS EXPECTATIONS

Writing: This is a praxis course, and its benefits will mostly come through practice in writing, class discussions of student writing, and editing of student pieces. If any student doesn't produce the required pieces by deadline, the class will have less to work with, so completing work on time is mandatory. There will be two main assignments and several smaller assignments over the course of the semester. The assignments are:

A short (850 word) news article on a subject that will be determined in class. You'll have a week to complete the writing on this assignment. It will receive a grade.

A feature-length (2500-3000 word) long-form article suitable for a popular magazine on a subject determined by the student (with the professor's okay). THIS IS THE MAIN CONCENTRATION OF THE CLASS and you will work over the full semester to get your project from proposal stage through reporting, organizing, and composing to a polished publishable piece. The piece can be a profile, or a process piece showing a scientist at work, or a full-blown feature article on a science subject. The piece cannot be in the style of a technical paper or refereed article. You should arrive at the first class with firm ideas of what you'd like to write about. CONSIDER YOUR TOPIC CAREFULLY. Good topics are ones that don't require too much research, or involve too many sources, to be doable in a short period of time. It will receive two grades, one for the rough draft, one for the final.
Smaller assignments will be tactical, and designed to help you with issues you'll face in writing your feature story. They'll stress aspects like: how to avoid jargon, how to write a proposal, how to write a lede, how to bring a scene alive, and how to get a piece to its conclusion.

Reading: For the most part, we'll read actual science articles, instead of advice manuals on how to write science articles. Assigned reading will never amount to more than two magazine articles per class; you MUST come to class with an opinion on what you've read. In addition, you'll be reading each others' work, and will be responsible for substantive verbal in-class comments on that work. (For a partial reading list, see the Materials section.)

Attendance and Comportment : Because this is a participatory class, if you are absent, the discussion, and other students, suffer. Attendance is required. Courtesy is also required; any impediment to a full conversation is discouraged: please don't use electronics—laptops or cell phones, etc.—in class (unless you have a life-or-death reason, and I okay it).

Announced on 16 January 2009 7:45 p.m. by Russ Rymer