The Scientist and the Storyteller

A Columbia Cross-Disciplinary Course

Designed for students in science and public health programs, this course bridges the gap between scientific research and the distribution of important health information to the public. Students are given an in-depth look at how science journalists work:  their reporting techniques, writing and producing methods, and, ultimately, how they contextualize and distribute scientific information to their audiences.  Students will be taught best practices for collaborating with journalists to ensure that their research reaches the public in the most intelligible and factual ways.  For students training in science journalism, this course will provide perspective into how scientists think and the way they are trained to report research findings to scientific and lay audiences.  Providing an opportunity for cross-talk between these two adjacent disciplines, this class will train scientists to be better communicators and journalists to be better translators of scientific information.   Co-taught by leaders in the fields of public health and journalism, this course is a practical guide for researchers hoping to extend the reach and impact of their work.

Grades will be based on class participation and successful completion of a final project. For the final project, students will be assigned in groups to interview a public health scientist about a recent publication.  Students will independently prepare a story (any format is acceptable) to communicate the study findings as a work of journalism.