Jo Marchant has had a career in science journalism, starting with degrees in biological sciences and medical microbiology. She gained experience working at New Scientist magazine and as the online news editor at Nature, before becoming Nature's news editor. In her current role, she determines news strategies, commissions news stories from reporters around the world, edits the stories, and oversees the layout and production of the 8-page news section in Nature. Science news is covered by various publications from daily newspapers to scientific journals. Stories come from a variety of sources and Nature focuses on results that have broad implications, science policy issues, and stories that humanize scientists. The editing process involves commissioning, writing, editing and sub-editing stories before publication.

1. Adventures in science journalism
Jo Marchant
News editor, Nature

2. How I got here…
BSc Biological Sciences (Genetics)
Leicester University 1992-1995
PhD Medical Microbiology
Leicester University and St Bartholomew’s
Hospital, London 1995-1998
MSc Science Communication
Imperial College London 1998-1999

3. How I got here…
6 weeks work experience at
New Scientist, Jul-Aug 1999
3 months work experience in press
office at CERN physics lab, Geneva,
Oct-Dec 1999
6-month internship at New Scientist,
Jan-Jul 2000

4. How I got here…
Reporter, New Scientist
Jul 2000 – Dec 2001
Physical sciences news editor,
New Scientist Dec 2001 – April 2004
Online news editor, Nature
April 2004 - March 2005
News editor, Nature
April 2005 - present

5. Nature’s news coverage
8-page news section at the front of the
magazine
About 15 reporters around the world
Cover news of the week that will be of
particular interest to professional
scientists
All the news is also published online,
along with daily online-only news stories

6. What I do
Determine overall news strategy - what sort of
story should Nature be covering, and how?
Commission all the news stories each week -
decide what to cover, what angle to take, who
will write it
Edit the copy when it comes in from reporters
See the story through onto the page - work
with subs, picture researchers and art desk
on the layout, picture choice, headlines etc

7. Who covers science news?
Daily newspapers eg Guardian, New York
Times
Daily news websites eg BBC
Current affairs magazines eg Economist,
Newsweek, Prospect
Popular science magazines (weekly/monthly)
eg New Scientist, Scientific American,
Discover, Seed, Wired
Science journals eg Science, Nature
Not to mention TV, radio, podcasts, blogs etc

8. Where news stories come from
Press releases
Scientific papers
Conference presentations
Events already in the news
Gossip / interviews
Lab visits

9. What stories we cover
Must be of broad, international interest, that
will make a difference to readers’ lives:
1. Scientific results - where there are broader
implications, either for the field or for society,
or an interesting controversy or human story
2. Science policy - stories about what science is
funded or how it is carried out
3. Science behind/around events in the news
4. Community stories - stories about how
scientists work and relate to each other

10. How we cover stories
Always have to bear in mind the
competition from newspapers, TV, radio,
websites, popular science magazines,
and make sure we add something more:
1. Break exclusive stories
2. Authoritative, accurate coverage
3. In-depth analysis - what does it all
mean?

16. The editing process
Reporter pitches news story
Editor commissions story
Reporter writes story, files to editor
Editor edits the story (big picture)
Subs sub-edit the story (grammar, sense)
Editor sends back to reporter to check
Story laid out on page, subs cut to fit
Editor works with subs on headline, caption etc

17. Tips on getting into
science journalism
Read as much science journalism as possible - look at
who covers what and how
Find out who the key people are on publications you
might want to write/work for
Do some freelance work on the side, and/or get
involved in student newspaper
Try to get some work experience - many publications
do summer placements, or try for BA Media Fellowship
Take a journalism or science communication course
Join the Association of British Science Writers
May be easier to start at a more specialist publication

18. How to pitch a story
(to an editor who gets hundreds of emails a day)
Do your homework on the publication
Find out who the relevant editor is
Find a story the editor can’t get anywhere else
Email short pitch: say what the story is, what
sort of article you are pitching, why it’s right for
that publication, where the story is from and
any particular expertise you bring to it.
Don’t just forward an abstract or press release
Say when you need to hear back by. Follow up
with phone call

19. What makes a good
science journalist
Love talking about and writing about science
Have an inherent curiosity, must want to ask questions and
not care looking stupid. Your job is to make things simple for
the reader, not to make yourself look clever
Know how to tell a story. Each article needs a clear
narrative, you’re not just writing about/around a topic
Be hard on yourself. Is this really new? Does anyone really
care? Do you really understand what’s going on?
Care about tiny details, at same time as pursuing the big
picture
Distance yourself from the scientific community - you are
reporting on science and holding it to account