Fourteen years ago this weekThe Open Notebook made its debut in the world. My friend and fellow science journalist Jeanne Erdmann and I wondered what it would look like if we took the reporting questions we hadthe science writing we were admiringand the tips and tricks we were learning from others and put them on the internet so others could benefit. ReallyI had no idea back then that TON would become a go-to resource and leading online source for journalists and writers all over the world. But I’m so very glad it did.
I also could not have imagined thatin 2024we’d have enough material to publish not just one but two books chock full of pieces curated from TON’s archives. The secondexpanded edition of The Craft of Science Writing officially publishes in two weeksand the books are already appearing in the world — I recently unboxed my very first copies. The Craft of Science Writing explores strategies for finding and shaping story ideaspitching editorsand building a specialty in science writing. It delves into fundamental skills that every science writer must learnfrom identifyinginterviewingand quoting sources to crafting stories that engage and inform audiences.
This expanded edition also includes new introductory material and nine new essays focusing on such topics as how to establish a science beathow to critically evaluate scientific claimshow to do data-driven reportingand more. In additionthere are essays on inclusivity in science writingoffering strategies for eradicating ableist language from storiesworking with sensitivity readersand breaking into English-language media for speakers of other languages.
At TONwe want journalists everywhere to be fully empowered to tell impactful stories about science that contribute to a more informed and engaged societycombat misinformationand enable communities to navigate the complexities of our ever-changing world. We are also dedicated to fostering a supportivediverseand inclusive global community that enables reporters and editors who cover science to learn and thrive.
In our 14 yearswe have published almost 600 in-depth articles (including reported features, story-behind-the-story interviews with writers, annotations of notable storiesand more) on the craft of science journalism; all of them are freely available to anyone worldwide. We’ve also collected articles that focus on journalistic challenges facing local journalists who want to include scientific evidence and perspectives in their stories.
Our collections include more than 50 articles and resource pages that center diversityequityand inclusion in science journalism. We have translated about 100 of our articles into Spanish as part of our TON en Español seriesreaching some 15,000 readers. And we’ve created other online resourcessuch as our global Science Writers Database (which includes more than 1,500 journalistseditorsand other communicators); our popular Pitch Databasewhich contains more than 300 successful journalism pitches; and our entirely free Science Journalism Master Classes.
This yearfor the first (but not the last) timewe also conducted and shared our first Source Diversity Reportin an effort to record and systematically track the diversity of sources in our stories. By sharing this information publiclywe aim to be transparent about our efforts to expand the diversity of sources represented in what we publish and our goals for continued improvementand we intend to share updated source-tracking data on a regular basis.
We’ve come a long way since 2010but I firmly believe — as do we all at TON — that by strengthening science journalism and setting the standards across the industrywe make it easier for people to navigate the immense changes society faces. Andwe do so while empowering and creating opportunities for people traditionally left out of journalism and the global discourse.
Todaywe celebrate 14 years of TON and everyone who continues to help shape it. Thank you.