Jordan Chapman

Primary Convener:
Jordan Chapman, Baylor University

Black science journalism was already a limited space that will continue to face challenges amidst funding cuts to science and in a number of obstacles in the media landscape. However, these challenges must be faced head-on. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, white journalists dominate environment and energy reporting (84%) and science and technology (77%) among the surveyed. Black reporters accounted for 2% of environmental and energy beats and 3% of science and technology beats among the surveyed. In this panel we will discuss how these demographic trends impede the reach of effective science communication to historically marginalized communities. We will also discuss opportunities to grow Black science journalism. In particular, we will use the panel as a space to discuss how collaborations between scientists, science journalists, and science communicators journalists can seed spaces for targeted science communication.

Index Terms
0815 Informal education
0855 Diversity

Cross-Listed:
SY - Science and Society
ED - Education