These are sites that may be useful for science journalists looking for stories, experts and background.
The Australian Science Media Centre is “an independent, not-for-profit service for the news media, giving journalists direct access to evidence-based science and expertise.” As well as connecting science journalists to experts, it also operates Scimex, an online science news portal, and has a Find An Expert database.
There are also Science Media Centres in the New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Germany.
This initiative of CSIRO’s Data61 unit aims to connect innovators and the general public – and by extension the media – with experts across the Australian research sector. It also provides extra information on factors such as an expert’s government grants, publication record and media articles.
This is an initiative of the Royal Institution of Australia, and is “Australia’s first free and open publishing platform for science stories”.
Co-produced by Biotext and Macquarie University, this manual includes guidance on scientific terms across a range of scientific fields, number, measurements, spelling, and writing about evidence and risk. Access requires a subscription.
This online global science news service is operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Registered journalists have access to embargoed press releases and papers.
An Australian joint venture of government, Science and Technology Australia, CSIRO and the Australian Science Media Centre, to raise the profile of Australian women in STEM, which includes a searchable database of experts.
This is an organisation aiming to raise the profile of women in STEMM, which has a facility that helps journalists find female STEMM interviewees.
Founded by the UK’s Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, AlphaGalileo is an online outlet for science press releases, news, announcements etc. Journalists must register for access to embargoed content.
This is a service provided by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, connecting journalists with expert scientific commentators, providing background information and media briefings.
Climate Tracker is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve the coverage of climate-related issues by training the next generation of climate journalists. Their website features a range of toolkits and handbooks on writing about climate change, as well as fellowships to enable journalists to attend climate change talks.
The Conversation is a not-for-profit website whose aim is to be “a fact-based and editorially independent forum, free of commercial or political bias” which serves to “Inform public debate with knowledge-based journalism that is responsible, ethical and supported by evidence.” The site – originally Australian but now replicated in the UK, US, Africa, Canada, Indonesia and France – contains pieces written by academics about something in their area of expertise, with links to evidence. It’s a source of story ideas, background information, and a place to find expert contacts for stories.
Futurity is a not-for-profit, supported by universities, that “features the latest discoveries by scientists at top research universities in the US, UK, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia”. Its aim is to share research news directly with the public, and as well as press release/stories, it also includes video and audio. Like The Conversation, it’s a source of story ideas, background, and contacts.