Science Journalism, the COVID Beat, and the Next Pandemic

Although much remains uncertain about the pandemic, one thing is clear: COVID will have a lasting impact on the field of science journalism. In this panel discussion hosted by the Johns Hopkins Science Writing Program, a JHU public health expert, a Vox science editor, and a COVID beat reporter wrestle with what we've learned, what science journalists can do better, and what to expect next. Topics they consider:

How can reporters explain a grave risk without overplaying or underplaying its true severity? How can journalists best communicate uncertainties -- what public health officials do NOT yet know? Should journalists report on research results that have not yet been vetted? In the torrent of data showing infection and death rates, how can journalists assure that the human story does not get lost? Has the media done a good enough job of telling the stories of the minority communities that COVID has hit particularly hard? Is there anything more that journalists and science communicators can do to get through to those who are convinced that public health information is a hoax/fake news?

Guest panelists:

Eliza Barclay is the Science and Health Editor at Vox and was previously an editor and science and health reporter for National Public Radio. She received a master’s degree in science writing from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars.

Lindsey Leake is an explanatory and health reporter for TCPalm, a USA TODAY affiliate in South Florida, and was formerly a digital producer at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. She has reported extensively on COVID-19 in her community. She earned her MA in Journalism and Digital Storytelling from American University and is now a student in the Hopkins MA in Science Writing Program.

Crystal Watson is a Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An expert on risk assessment and public health preparedness, she teaches a course on the science of risk communication and decision making during public health emergencies.