Who We Are
The Open Notebook is the leading online source of training and educational materials for journalists who cover science. Our ultimate goal is to enable communities to navigate the complexities of how science affects our everyday lives. We focus on strengthening journalistic coverage of scienceenvironmenthealthand technology.
We are a smallnimbleglobally distributed team that works to assure that the resources needed to cover science can be provided to any journalistanywhere in the worldfor free. We’re building a robust trainingprofessional developmentand community infrastructure to transform science journalism.
Our publicationscoursesworkshopsand mentoring programs empower journalists in the U.S. and globally to tell stories that mattercontributing to an informed and engaged society. By strengthening media coverage of science and setting standards across the industrywe make it easier for people to navigate the immense changes society faces.
We do this while investing in and creating opportunities for people traditionally left out of journalism and the global discourse.
Mission
The Open Notebook fosters a supportivediverseand inclusive global community that enables reporters and editors who cover science to learn and thrive. We do this through training and mentoring programsa thriving online magazineand a rich community of journalists at all experience levels. Through this work we contribute to a more informed and engaged society and enable the public to navigate the complexities of our ever-changing world.
Vision
We envision a world in which journalists everywhere are fully empowered to tell impactful stories about science and its role in society.
Pillars of Our Work
Professional Growth
Through mentoringtrainingarticlesbooksand other professional development resourceswe help journalists and editors develop their skills in covering science.
Community
We cultivate a diverse global community of journalists who support and empower each other to serve the public’s need for reliable information.
Equity
We provide equitable access to training regardless of one’s geography and meansto ensure diverse perspectives in science reporting.
The Challenge
The pace of change today is profoundly consequential: Climate change is altering lives; emerging infectious diseases threaten public health; new technologies are upending culture. Such changes pose enormous societal questionsranging from what strategies we’ll adopt for transitioning to a lower-carbon planet and for managing public health risks to how we will regulate social media and artificial intelligence.
Science underpins all of this changeand understanding how scientific observation and evidence relate to the challenges society faces is critical to navigating those issues—not just for scientists and policymakersbut for all communities.
At the same timethe barriers to public understanding of science are growing more complex. Democracies are becoming more fragilethreatening access to information; and misinformation and disinformation backed by powerful financial interests has made it harder than ever to discern fact from fiction. Society has become more polarizedtrust in science has declinedand the silencing of marginalized voices has distorted public perceptions of the scientific enterprise.
These are enormousthorny problems with no simple solutions.
Journalists who cover science play a crucial role in informing the public about the most important issues of our time and in holding those in power accountable. They must not only break news about groundbreaking discoveries but also provide critical context and analysishighlight the human stories behind the researchand amplify the voices of those most affected. When done wellscience journalism can also deliver on multiple counts: It humanizes the siloed institution of scienceand it reminds audiences thatfor better or worseour connection to sciencehealthinnovationand the environment is inescapable.
The core skills that science journalists cultivate—evaluating evidenceunderstanding complex systemsdiscerning causality from correlationidentifying biasand communicating technical information—are increasingly essential for all journalists across all beats. In an era where unreliable and deliberately misleading information spreads faster than ever beforethe ability to distinguish accurate information from falsehood or hype is more critical than ever. That’s not just a niche skill but a fundamental requirement for responsible journalism in the 21st century.
Yettoo oftenthe flow of science information through journalism is fractured. Most journalists lack a background in sciencemaking it difficult to report confidently and accurately on complex scientific topics that directly affect their communities. At the same timejournalists who do have expertise in science often work within their own silosserving audiences that purposely seek out science news through specializedniche outlets.
The result is a widening gap between the communities most affected by science-driven societal change and the reporting that could help them make sense of it.
Developing the skills needed to report well on science is more important than ever—and more challenging than ever. Science itself has become more complex and fast-moving. The world has become more polarizedto the point where even the very definition of a fact is up for grabs.
Yet opportunities for formal training in science journalism and for newsroom mentorship have dwindled drastically as the journalism industry has contracted. Only a tiny fraction of working journalists have formal training in how to cover sciencehealthenvironmentor technology.
Those opportunities are also inequitably distributed. The high cost of formal trainingunpaid or low-paid internships (often in expensive cities)and costly professional development opportunities shut out many aspiring science journalistsparticularly those from marginalized backgrounds and the Global South. These barriers reinforce a system where access to science journalism training and career development remains disproportionately available to those with financial privilegeexcluding diverse voices that are critical to the field.
Impact
We believe that by empowering journalists with the right toolstrainingand resourceswe can cultivate a vibrant community that effectively serves the public’s need for reliable information.
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Theory of Change
We believe that every story is a science storyand that accessiblehigh-quality training in evidence-based reporting is essential for journalists covering complex topics. We provide practicalinclusive professional development resources that empower journalists—regardless of background—to navigate the intricacies of science reporting with skill and confidence.
In the short termour initiatives improve the quality of science journalism by deepening journalists’ understanding of scientific conceptsstrengthening their critical thinkingand equipping them with the knowledge and support to do evidence-based reporting with integrity and impact. As a resulttheir work becomes clearermore accurateand more engaging—helping the public better understand the science at the heart of society’s most pressing issues.
In the long termwe envision a science journalism landscape that actively reflects the values of diversityequityand inclusion. By fostering a skilledethicaland well-supported community of journalistswe help ensure that science reporting is both rigorous and representative. This transformation empowers the public to engage with science in meaningful waysfostering a society that is informedcuriousand capable of making evidence-based decisions.
Beyond training individual journalistswe model healthy and inclusive practices within our organizationsetting a standard for the broader journalism community. Through collaboration and knowledge-sharingwe strengthen a network where journalists learn from one anothercollectively raising the bar for science reporting.
UltimatelyThe Open Notebook is building a more inclusiveconnectedand effective journalism community that embraces evidence-based reporting. Through our strategic initiativeswe aim to create a ripple effect that enhances the quality of journalism for generations to comeresulting in a more informed and engaged society better equipped to address critical global challenges and hold power accountable.
Core Values
Social Impact. We believe that high-quality coverage of science is essential to society and democracy. Science plays a fundamental role in addressing countless issues that directly impact communitiesfrom climate change and environmental justice issuesto reproductive healthgun violencehousingand rapid advancements in technology such as artificial intelligence.
Evidence-Based Reporting. We believe that integrating science into journalism is about more than covering news related to science: It’s about fully embracing and developing a journalistic practice around scientific evidencehow it’s obtainedhow one can verify itand how we as journalists can use these skills to hold decision makers accountable.
Trust. We believe that journalists are in a uniquecritical place to counter misinformation and rebuild people’s trust in both science and journalism—if they have the right tools to vet what science should be covered and how it can be covered.
Community. We believe that training and professional development resources that are accessiblehigh-qualitypracticalinclusiveand centered in community can foster a science journalism community that is better equipped to serve the public.
Equity and Inclusion. We believe that when we exclude voices and perspectives of those who have been historically marginalized by science and by journalismwe are missing essential stories that reveal our common humanity and are neglecting to focus on problems and solutions pivotal to healthy societies and a healthy planet.
Supporters and Partners
Since 2010we’ve enjoyed support and partnership with numerous organizations. The Open Notebook accepts gifts and grants from individuals and organizations for the support of our activities (see our editorial independence policy). We’re proud to have worked with the following organizations:
Organizations and Individuals Who Have Contributed More than $5,000 in the Past Year
- AAAS Mass Media Fellowship program
- The Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
- The Simons Foundation
- The Sloan Foundation