SciLine launches weekly “Matter of Fact” newsletter

On August 13, SciLine launched “Matter of Fact,” a weekly newsletter filled with localizable story ideas, data, advice, and resources to help journalists cover current news using scientific evidence and expertise. A new issue will come out every Wednesday.

The first newsletter included original reporting from SciLine on how scientific evidence can improve immigration reporting and advice to journalists on steps to take when scientist sources are reluctant to speak with the press. It also offered resources on covering ongoing wildfires and government funding cuts to the “Solar for All” program and to mRNA vaccine research.

All of our inboxes are overflowing. That’s why “Matter of Fact” is designed to help reporters with their deadline work, not to be another distraction from it.

The goal is to provide timely, useful resources that help journalists strengthen their reporting with scientific evidence–whether for stories where science is central to the topic or stories from beats like politics or business where the science angle can be less obvious but is just as vital.

“Matter of Fact” incorporates original reporting and resources from a variety of sources, highlights local news stories that have covered crucial angles using scientific evidence, and keeps you informed about new SciLine offerings for reporters.

The newsletter will be written by Elena Renken, SciLine’s manager of journalism projects and multimedia. Her work has been published by NPR, PBS “NOVA”, Quanta Magazine, and Nautilus, among other national and local outlets.