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Connecting the Next Generation of Science Journalists
with Scientists in Action
Andrea Jones*, Planetary Science Institute, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA;
Lora Bleacher, Jacob Bleacher, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt RoAad, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA; Timothy
Glotch, Stony Brook University, 250 Earth and Space Sciences, Stony Brook, New York 11794-2100, USA; Kelsey Young, CRESST/
University of Maryland at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA; Barbara Selvin
and Richard Firstman, Stony Brook University School of Journalism, 3384 SUNY, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3384, USA
INTRODUCTION this investigation to maximize scientific professor, a teaching assistant, and NASA
return throughout the exploration pro- education specialists, joined the RIS4E
As scientific advances and controversies cess—from remotely sensed spectral data team during the 2015 field season at
flood the media, journalists with strong preparation for safe and efficient human Kīlauea’s December 1974 lava flow on the
scientific backgrounds must ensure that surface exploration to analysis of small, Island of Hawaiʻi. Volcanic gases from
complex science is portrayed accurately precious returned samples. The team sim- Kīlauea have altered the basalt (Chemtob
(Mooney, 2004). Science journalists see ulates astronaut exploration of extraterres- et al., 2010; Seelos et al., 2010) and overly-
evidence-based reporting with scientific trial surfaces in planetary analog environ- ing sediments in the area, resulting in vol-
explanation and argumentation as essen- ments, such as volcanic terrains in Hawaiʻi, canic terrain analogous to basaltic terrains
tial tenets of their work (Secko and Fleury, and analyzes extraterrestrial materials, found on other planets and satellites. RIS4E
2014). NASA’s Remote, In Situ, and including their possible effects on human scientists study this site to better under-
Synchrotron Studies for Science and health, at some of the most technologically stand planetary volcanism and igneous
Exploration (RIS4E; pronounced “rise”) advanced research facilities on Earth. processes, and to test state-of-the-art field
team recognizes this need, and in collabo- RIS4E student journalists report on each equipment and techniques to make recom-
ration with the Stony Brook University aspect of this multi-layered program. mendations to NASA about developing
School of Journalism and the Alan Alda portable scientific instruments for astro-
Center for Communicating Science, cre- Six undergraduates and two graduate nauts to use for exploring the Solar System.
ated the RIS4E Science Journalism students were competitively selected to
Program. This innovative program uses participate in the first RIS4E practicum in The journalism students reported on the
RIS4E research to help journalism stu- the spring of 2015. This course, offered entire 10-day field campaign, from setup
dents strengthen their understanding of through the Stony Brook University and weather-related changes in plans to
the practice of science and learn to report School of Journalism, was modeled after data analysis and investigation of ques-
more effectively and accurately on scientific the university’s successful Journalism tions that arose as a result of field discov-
research. RIS4E begins with a semester- Without Walls program, which gives stu- eries (Fig. 1). The students took hundreds
long science journalism practicum and dents hands-on, practical experience in of photos, recorded dozens of hours of
culminates with a field experience in reporting beyond their campus. The stu- video footage, and interviewed scientists
which students report on active NASA dents learned about RIS4E research both as they worked and after hours. Their
planetary science field research. This is directly from the RIS4E science team. role was to document planetary science
the first program to engage undergraduate RIS4E scientists visited their classrooms, fieldwork in action: to watch the scientists
and graduate journalism students as a team sat for one-on-one interviews, and pro- do their work, find out why it matters, and
in a deep, extended investigation of a NASA vided tours of their laboratories. The stu- share it with the world.
research effort. dents practiced interviewing and reporting
all semester and prepared for the physi- In addition to reporting on RIS4E, each
THE RIS4E SCIENCE JOURNALISM cally harsh conditions of working in the student pursued and published related
PROGRAM field. Students learned science-writing science stories. For example, one student
fundamentals and explored the business of was intrigued by a simulated Mars habitat
The RIS4E team (ris4e.labs.stonybrook science. On a trip to NASA’s Goddard called HI-SEAS (Hawaiʻi Space Exploration
.edu) is part of NASA’s Solar System Space Flight Center, students met with Analog and Simulation); others explored
Exploration Research Virtual Institute NASA science writers to learn about navi- the heated debate over the construction
(SSERVI). SSERVI scientists study the gating a career path in science journalism. of a 30-meter telescope on Mauna Kea.
Moon, moons of Mars, and near-Earth Professors ensured that each student
asteroids as potential targets for future REPORTING FROM THE FIELD reported not only on a unique aspect of the
robotic and human exploration by NASA. RIS4E field campaign but also that stu-
RIS4E takes a comprehensive approach to After completing the practicum, five dents worked together to paint a picture of
students, accompanied by a journalism the integrated research effort in rich,
GSA Today, v. 27, no. 2, doi: 10.1130/GSATG294GW.1
44 *E-mail: ajones@psi.edu
