As I mentioned in an earlier letter, change is afoot at Science News. Now I have some exciting news for readers: On October 2, we will launch a new and expanded Science News website. And starting with the October 19 issue, all print subscribers will have access to a new iPad version of Science News, at no additional charge. You’ll also notice a smart new look for the magazine, starting with the next issue, that helps align our online, tablet and print editions.
Dubbed “Science News any way you want it,” this expansion of the ways people can access the magazine will ensure that Science News keeps reaching readers whether they prefer paper and ink or a retina-display screen. That’s vital to our future, especially given the uncertainties faced by most magazines and newspapers today.
But unlike many other journalistic concerns, we have the benefit of being part of a nonprofit organization, the Society for Science & the Public, that is committed to promoting scientific awareness to the general public. Which brings me to another change: We’re inviting our subscribers to become full-fledged members of the Society. Members will get full access to Science News as well as regular updates about the Society’s education programs and broader efforts to promote public understanding of science. Members will also be helping to support Science News for Students, a free, online publication geared toward teens and educators (and edited by SN’s own Janet Raloff).
Of special interest to SN readers are the new blogs that will debut on the redesigned website. Context, by former editor in chief Tom Siegfried, will explore new findings through the lens of science history. Growth Curve, by neuroscience writer Laura Sanders, will look at the science of parenthood and child development. Erika Engelhaupt, deputy managing editor, will take readers on tours of the bizarre, gross and creepy in Gory Details. Freelance writer Sarah Zielinski will share news from the natural world in the Wild Things blog. And web producer Ashley Yeager will provide a constant stream of up-to-the-minute research news in Science Ticker. The website’s new design means you can easily read news and blogs on your desktop, tablet or smartphone.
We’ve had an exhilarating experience over the last year, dreaming about all that Science News can be. I hope you’ll tune in, any way you want to, and see what we’ve come up with.
