My process for finding subject matter experts was simple: Reach out to storytellers whose work I find most interesting, engaging and effective. I also did my best to reflect a broad group of storytellers who do this work for a swath of purposes and across mediums. The result was having conversations with nine storytellers ranging from narrative nonfiction writers, nonprofits, outdoor retailers, and multiplatform journalists.

Meet the Subject Matter Experts:

Ted Alvarez, Science & Environment editor, Crosscut and KCTS 9

Ted Alvarez is a science Seattle-based journalist, editor and storyteller. He has deep experience in environmental reporting including writing for REI, Backpacker Magazine and helping shape Grist’s vision for climate change journalism. Finding a story was a key piece of our conversation. 

“You need to get beyond the issue and find the person, find the character,” he says. “It doesn't even have to be a human — it could be an animal, a place. But you need to push beyond the issue to get people to care about it.” 

We also talked about explaining science in a way that appeals to a reader’s curiosity. He thinks about science as “the wonder beat.” What can we tell readers that makes them curious or in awe of the world we live in? 

We also discussed how climate change stories shouldn’t be limited to science or environmental publications. 

“[Climate change] is the biggest story,” he says. “It's threaded through everything that's happening right now, and you can look at almost anything that’s happening through [a climate change] lens.”

Neela Banjeree, Supervising Climate Editor, NPR

Neela is an investigative journalist, climate reporter and editor with over a decade of experience in environmental journalism. Our conversation centered around effective ways to explain science and how to refine your explanations to ensure readers understand. She and her reporters have a simple strategy for coming up with straightforward explanations of science: they explain it to each other. This helps identify gaps and ways to improve. 

“The questions that should guide you in discussing the science is ‘why should anybody care?’” she says. “What does this mean? That will help you slow it down and explain it.”  

We also talked about how stories are an effective tool for getting people to care. 

“At the end of the day, people want stories told through other human beings,” she says. “So if there are aspects of climate change mitigation of climate science that interest you, you really have to tell it through a person or community.”

Nathan Eagle, News Editor, Honolulu Civil Beat

Nathan is a Honolulu-based journalist and editor. He was the lead reporter behind the Honolulu Civil Beat’s Hawaii 2040 project, which told stories about how climate change is impacting communities in Hawaii. Our conversation focused on how to find a story within a larger topic. 

“[For Hawaii 2040], I started with the biggest reports I could get my hands on,” he says. “I used that as a blueprint for the major coverage areas within climate change to make sure we were hitting on. ..[Then I] prioritized it by what's already most evident for people in their daily lives.” 

We also talked about using stories to connect with larger audiences. In the Hawaii 2040 project, he was careful to include aspects of how environmental issues may impact tourism and the economy to illustrate their scope. Using various types of media and thinking critically about the best media for the story was also a key piece of our conversation.

Michelle Flandreau, Senior Editor, REI Co-op

Michelle has a background in broadcast journalism and brand storytelling. She oversees editorial content across REI’s publications including the digital Co-op Journal and their print magazine, Uncommon Path. We talked about the role branded content can play in environmental conversations and how and why REI tells stories about climate change. 

“The Co-op believes that climate change is the single biggest threat to the future of life outdoors,” she says. “We have a responsibility as a cooperative and as a business to be part of the solution.”

Our conversation focused on the goals and intentions behind storytelling. We also discussed the importance of thinking about the audience through every step of the storytelling process. 

“It’s crucial to keep a really clearly defined story focus in mind,” she says. “Who are your characters? Where is the scene? Thinking about all of those elements that make a great story and applying that to a topic that can be wonky and dense and dry [can be an effective] vehicle to unpack and explain these issues.”

Thomas Hager, Author

After earning his masters degree in medical microbiology and immunology, Tom decided practicing science wasn’t for him — so he decided to write about it. He’s an author and journalist who’s written 12 books and dozens of articles about health and science. Our conversation focused on why storytelling was an effective way to engage people with science and science-related issues. 

“The vast majority of people are put off by the simplest math equation,” he says. “...But they are intuitively and instinctively drawn to human stories.”

We also talked about how to weave science and narrative together to tell an accurate and compelling story. 

“To write science, you have to do it slowly,” he says. “Build the reader’s interest slowly, over time in a way that doesn't overwhelm them with data.”

Claudine Ebeid McElwain, Senior communications manager and Broken Ground Podcast Host, Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC)

Claudine has deep experience in radio, working for NPR and WBUR before coming to the SELC. We first discussed how and why SELC, a team of over 80 attorneys focused on environmental issues in the South, launched a podcast. Their goal is to raise awareness and increase understanding of environmental issues that impact these communities. We also discussed strategies for effectively interviewing scientists and explaining those insights in stories. 

“When I talk to scientists, I feel like I’m constantly peeling back the onion until we get to how that science impacts people,” she says. “...That's important because that's how people feel connected to the science instead of it being this daunting thing that you need several degrees to understand.”

Usha Lee Mcfarling, Freelance Journalist

Usha earned a biology degree from Brown, then pivoted her career to science journalism. Now she’s a freelance science journalist currently covering the coronavirus pandemic. We talked about the importance of using a compelling narrative to pique people’s interest in science, using the example of the Altered Oceans, a series of stories that earned her reporting team a Pulitzer Prize. 

“Our editors said ‘you want to do a story about polluted oceans? We already know that,” she explained. But her team worked together to craft compelling stories that brought these issues to life. “[To make this story work] we knew we needed to grab readers. We needed to tell them stories that would make them say ‘you’re not going to believe this.”

Usha also emphasized the importance of doing your reporting (and potentially coined the phrase “Zoom-leather reporting’). Doing the homework to make sure that you know the facts is vital. Then pair that with beautiful writing and strong storytelling. She also had thoughtful insight on eliminating jargon from science reporting. 

“You don’t want to dumb the science down too much,” she says. “Find a balance: explain science so you’re teaching people and bringing them with you.”

Paolo Mottola, Content and Media Director, REI

Paolo uses his background in journalism and digital media communication to lead REI’s content programs. This includes their digital journal, print magazine, feature films and podcasts. We talked about why storytelling is an effective tool for science communication and how to balance science with story. 

“Have as much mastery around storytelling as you do the subject matter,” he says. “When you have the two together the chemistry can be really powerful. It's 1+1=3.”

For climate stories in particular, he emphasized the importance of moving away from “doom and gloom” stories and focusing on solutions. 

“We need to address the problem, but not everything has to be doomsday,” he says. “Let’s present solutions. Let’s present actions the audiences can take.”

Sabin Russell, Science Writer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Sabin was a medical writer at The San Francisco Chronicle for over 20 years before becoming a science writer for Fred Hutch. He tells feature stories about the research at Fred Hutch and the people it impacts. We talked about translating science, finding compelling characters, and piquing readers' interest in long-form stories. 

“The reader comes first,” he says. “I have a view that I have no right to the reader's time. So every word, every paragraph should give the reader a reason to keep reading.”

I also picked his brain about how he comes up with ways to explain science and make it easy for any reader to understand. 

“I was an English major and I always go back to that when I’m writing about science,” he says. “Appreciate a good sentence. Seduce the reader with what’s interesting. Use metaphors to find meaning — relate something they don’t know to something they understand. Seek clarity...and use quotes as decoration.”