Career Paths, Science/Environmental Journalism

Using two different Web-based mapping services does not always identify the same route. But all of them, ultimately, will get the user to the same destination. The same is true of finding the “correct” career path for science or environmental journalism. Indeed, the prescribed route may depend solely on who is asked.

If one were to ask an academic, he or she is more than likely to recommend a traditional approach: journalism school. If one were to ask a scientist, the recommendation may be altogether different. If one were to ask three working journalists, the questioner will probably get three different answers. What is really the correct answer? There probably is not one. Indeed, any number of choices will probably get someone to his or her destination. One just may take a little longer than another. But some choices may significantly increase the odds of actually landing a job.

Journalism school will provide a strong academic background—not to mention an array of near-real journalism experiences. As students complete assignments—and perhaps write for school newspapers—they become very comfortable with the rigors of daily journalism. But they may not pick up the necessary science or environment background to pursue a journalism career in that field.

Others would advocate a science degree, with journalism skills as an afterthought. This approach has been used widely by the radio and television networks—as well as by some Web-based science, health, and environment sites. No doubt many have noticed the number of medical doctors who report on health issues for those outlets. In other words, having a science background is viewed as more desirable than having a journalism degree. The assumption is that it may be quicker to teach a medical doctor how to be a journalist than it will be to train a journalism graduate to understand complex issues and write about them in a way that is understandable to a lay audience.

Along the way, a science background also helps in interviewing scientists, who are more likely to talk freely with someone who obviously knows their field. However, there is no single formula for success as a science journalist. So what is the best path? Assuming that a combined science and journalism background might be the best alternative, one should consider the following advice.

Someone about to enter college should find a school with strong science and journalism programs. A student who is already in college should strongly consider supplementing his or her education with journalism or science courses. The ideal is immersion in both fields: Students should learn the science and practice how to write about it. Finding a science specialty might be even better. A good grounding in statistics can be immensely valuable.

What else will help? Without a doubt, students should join a science-based journalism group. Most have discount memberships for students. And they provide excellent opportunities to learn the craft—and to network with scientists and other journalists. One should think job opportunities. Two organizations, for example, are the Society of Environmental Journalists (http://www.sej.org) and the National Association of Science Writers (http://www.nasw.org). Membership benefits are enormous, both for working journalists and for students. Both organizations offer informative newsletters, chock full of articles about issues of importance. Both also have resource-rich conferences that have proved beneficial to students and working journalists for decades.

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