Abstract:
During the summer of 2004, I interned at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, in the Office of Public Information. Throughout the summer I was able to explore the field of science writing in its various forms: public information, science journalism and grant writing. This volume contains examples of each of the three aspects of science writing. Public information news releases are targeted at media outlets, specifically newspapers. It is the journalist that actually communicates the story to the public, writing the science in an approachable manner helps sell the story, especially to local newspapers. In science journalism, the reporter must make complex scientific concepts approachable to the average person. The journalist must also make science interesting to an audience that may be intimidated by the subject. With grant writing, not only does science need to be translated, but the reasons the research is important must also be stressed — a more persuasive type of writing. Overall though, science writing serves to bridge the gap between scientists and the public.
