Stats essentials for math-averse reporters

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Thursday, June 18, 2-3 p.m. ET

Many journalists lack confidence when including numbers in their reporting, or they fear misrepresenting the data when it comes to covering facts and figures, studies, or technical reports. This free, one-hour “crash course”—designed for reporters who cover science, health, or environment issues but lack statistics or data training—aims to take the stress out of reporting on the numbers that could be crucial to your next story.

Tori Espensen and Emily Mueller—Ph.D. scientists and trained science communicators—will lead a 45-minute virtual presentation and 15-minutes of open Q&A that will help you:

Understand statistical concepts such as risk and odds, correlation strength, absolute and relative numbers, and statistical significance and how to use them in your reporting;

Explain to your audience how much uncertainty exists around a given finding and how to judge the strength and importance of that finding;

Recognize statistical red flags that should prompt deeper questions about a study or dataset; and

Include numbers and data in your reporting in ways that are accessible, clear, and meaningful to readers/listeners/viewers.

REGISTRATION IS FREE AND OPEN TO LOCAL AND GENERAL ASSIGNMENT PRINT, RADIO, AND TV REPORTERS.

Tori Espensen

Training director
she/her

Tori leads SciLine’s training programs, which help both scientists and journalists learn to work better together to bring accurate, engaging scientific evidence to general audiences through news stories. Her role includes developing curricula, facilitating workshops and webinars, and finding creative ways to make teaching science and communication skills dynamic and interactive. Tori’s Ph.D. in biological psychopathology and postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatry, both from the University of Minnesota, allow her to connect with the scientists she trains and share her deep understanding of scientific skills and concepts with journalists.

Emily Mueller

Senior scientific outreach manager
she/her

Emily is a chemist with a background in polymer science and a passion for science communication. In her role as scientific outreach manager at SciLine, Emily works to connect scientists with journalists who seek technical experts on deadline. Prior to working at SciLine, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, where she studied additives that help flexible solar cells last longer. There she also led science communication training for graduate students and postdocs, and she wrote about science research, education, outreach, and her graduate student experiences for various outlets.