Don’t Panic: Challenges Regarding Science, News and Comments Online

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Don’t Panic: Challenges Regarding Science, News and Comments Online

Posted 7 January 2013 by Matt Shipman

A recent “Perspectives” commentary in Science on the importance of online science news – and associated challenges – has (unsurprisingly) gotten a fair amount of attention in the science communication community. Not all of it good. But I think that, at the very least, it presents a good opportunity to lay out some of those challenges and, hopefully, spark a productive discussion about how to address them. The commentary also refers to a forthcoming paper on the impact of online... Read more

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Matter’s Growing Pains, and the Value of Preparation

Posted 20 November 2012 by Matt Shipman

This is more of a note than a fully evolved post, but it’s a good reminder of the value of preparation. I’m talking about the recent (very public) growing pains of Matter – a new, online outlet for publishing long-form, independent journalism that focuses on various aspects of science and/or technology. I love the idea behind Matter, which published its first story this month, in large part because I love long-form articles when they’re done well. They are captivating. However,... Read more

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Oops: How to Recover From a Mistake

Posted 19 November 2012 by Matt Shipman

Assuming you are a human, you are going to make mistakes. But if you’re a reporter, blogger or PIO, those mistakes can be public. And embarrassing. So how do you recover gracefully, or at least with as little damage as possible to your reputation? Here’s the short answer: admit your mistake as early as possible; never make excuses; and do not make the same mistake again. The problem with excuses When someone makes a mistake, their first reaction is often... Read more

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Why I Think Ditching Embargoes Was a Good Move by eLife

Posted 31 October 2012 by Matt Shipman

A new, open-access journal called eLife released its “media policy” earlier this week – including a promise to not issue embargoed news releases and language encouraging researchers to make their accepted manuscripts available to the public in advance of publication. I think this is a good move. As I read the eLife policy, the look on my face must have gone from neutral, to guarded optimism, to enthusiasm – then back to guarded optimism as I re-read the policy to... Read more

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Unconventional Metrics: How Can I Tell If My Blog Is Working?

Posted 28 October 2012 by Matt Shipman

So you started a blog to give yourself a place to write about science. You’re using social media to push your posts out, and you know that some people are reading them. But how can you tell if you’re reaching the people you want to reach? And, more importantly, are you any closer to achieving your communication goals? On Oct. 27, I was part of a panel at the National Association of Science Writers meeting in Raleigh, N.C., that addressed... Read more

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Writing: How Long Does This Need To Be?

Posted 25 October 2012 by Matt Shipman

In a comment on my first post here, someone asked about writing. Specifically, they asked whether the length of a piece was more important than its substance. I responded in the comments that I don’t think the length of a story/post/article is important at all. But I was thinking this over as I drove home last night, and that’s not entirely true. Sometimes word count matters. There is a school of thought that writing for the web needs to be... Read more

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