Ben Deighton shares science storytelling tips in webinar for South Asian participants

The Nepal Forum of Science Journalists (NFSJ) hosted an online session on Friday for aspiring journalists, students, researchers, and academicians as part of its Science Journalism Program for Beginners.

Speaking to 23 participants from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, Ben Deighton, Managing Editor of SciDev.Net and President of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ), shared insights on “Shaping Ideas and Identifying the Science in Stories.” He introduced SciDev.Net as a global, not-for-profit science news platform, outlining its news criteria: surprising, unexpected, counterintuitive, affecting readers’ lives, and credible.

Deighton guided participants through the essentials of effective science storytelling, covering The Lede, The Golden Quote, and the inverted pyramid structure, emphasizing the importance of building each point in the story. He also explained simple guidelines for making science stories authentic and engaging for the general public.

NFSJ President Rajan Pokhrel thanked Deighton for the engaging session. Founding President of NFSJ and Vice President of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ), Chhatra Karki, facilitated the session.

Since 2024, NFSJ has been conducting the Science Journalism Mentorship Program to strengthen science reporting and empower new voices across South Asia.