On a crisp autumn evening punctuated by a postcard-worthy sunset, MIT’s Knight Science Journalism Program honored its founder, launched a new science journalism award, and celebrated 35 years as one of journalism’s preeminent fellowship programs. Some one hundred attendees — including current and former fellows, current director Deborah Blum, and three of the program’s previous […]
Alumni Notes: Septebmer 21, 2018
A trio of KSJ alumni took home honors in the National Association of Science Writer’s Science and Society awards, announced earlier this week. Maryn McKenna (2013-14) won in the Book category for Big Chicken, which tells the eye-opening story of how antibiotics birthed modern agriculture and revolutionized the way we eat. Judges called it a […]
Master of Ig Nobel Prize Ceremonies Talks Humor in Science
September 13th marked the 28th annual Ig Nobel Prizes, a ceremony that honors scientists for research into such delightfully unexpected questions as, “Can a cat be both a liquid and a solid?” and “Why do old men have big ears?” The prizes are awarded for “achievements that first make people laugh, then make them think.” […]
Checking in on Fact Checking in Science Journalism
The Knight Science Journalism program at MIT took a close look at one of the profession’s most underappreciated practices — and uncovered a few surprises. At some science news publications, a fact checker could get fired for reading a quote verbatim to a source. At others, it’s standard practice. Still other publications have no formal […]
Alumni Notes: August 29, 2018
Here’s what alumni are writing: a compendium from Federico Kukso (2015-16). Debbie Ponchner (2003-04): “Rescuing Ancient Art from Microbes,” Scientific American. Lauren Whaley (2016-17): “The hidden social factors driving disparities in childhood cancer survival rates,” Center for Health Journalism. Marcin Rotkiewicz (2008-09). “Judgment for gene editing,” Polityka (in Polish). Federico Kukso (2015-16): “Carlo Rovelli: ‘Ignoring […]
Alumni Notes: August 14, 2018
A collaboration about a collaboration: Pagan Kennedy, left, and Karen Brown. “The Great God of Depression,” the gripping story of the improbable collaboration between a brain scientist and an acclaimed author to come to terms with their shared mental illness, is a five-part podcast that can be found at Radiotopia’s Showcase page (or wherever you […]