Scientists speak a different language, a dialect filled with abstract symbolism, hypotheses and references to Latin and Greek. In this course, students learn journalism techniques to translate environmental science topics into language a layperson could appreciate. The writing concepts will apply to any field of science, as well as grant proposals, public reports and media including web-based publishing. Students also learn techniques for converting numbers into relevant statistics. Students will "workshop" in groups and work closely with the instructor to produce publication-quality articles on assigned or agreed-upon topics. The best of these could be posted on university-affiliated websites, with credit given to the author. Graduate-level requirements include an additional final project writing a grant proposal or writing a feature article for a specified magazine or newspaper worth 50 points and a higher level of expectation regarding writing and reviews of their peers' work.
Instructor(s)
- Monica Ramirez-Andreotta