Where do Science Stories Come From?

Part of my job at NPR, indeed the largest part, is to find science stories to write about. When last year's Fellow told me this I really panicked. I mean, tell me what to write and I'll gladly do it, but where does that initial kernel of an idea spring from? I started to worry, and it felt a bit like running through a Möbius Band. Any cool science news I read about has already been published, by virtue of the fact that I'm reading about it somewhere. Likewise, I hear plenty of cool stories on NPR, but...well, I think you see the problem.

So, this made me curious, where do science stories come from? How do the news writers find the news?

I got my answer this week, and now I will share it with you, the lucky ready, by tracing the conception, gestation, and eventual birth of my first story.

Scientist Go Medieval To Solve Ancient Leprosy Puzzle

To begin, I assumed the Axiom of Choice.

Next, I started scrolling through the National Library of Medicine's archive of images from the history of medicine, hoping that I could find some images, or "media" as we call it in the bizz, that could drive the story. Always being one for plagues of biblical proportions, I found some leprosy images that I was quite keen on.

Then, and this is the most important part, I looked through a database of embargoed research press releases to find one that was interesting and story worthy. What does this mean? Once a research paper gets accepted by a peer-reviewed journal, the university's Public Information Officer sends out a press release to this database (or one like it), with a short blurb about the research. The key: only reporters can access the database, and to access it we sign an agreement stating that we will not discuss the research publicly until a fixed time or date. It levels the playing field, and allows for maximum coverage of each press release, which as a researcher, works strongly in your favor!

Then I pitch it to my editor, and once I get the go-ahead, I start writing.

You will notice that the story contains quotes from one of the scientists on the project. Yes, I actually called him and interviewed him. And yes, it was totally awesome.

After some seriously helpful comments and suggestions from wonderful staff writers and editors at the Science Desk, the story is ready to go.

Start to finish, conception to birth, this whole process took about 36 hours. It's pretty intense, and so much fun.

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