Transforming Our DNA - 2016 Annual Report

Journalism

TRANSFORMED SITE BRINGS NEWS TO STUDENTS

Science News for Students ( SNS ) brings the lat- est developments in science, technology, engi- neering andmath (STEM) to anyone inmiddle school or older. In August 2016, the online magazine unveiled a newmobile-friendly website that also enabled educators to search for stories based on which Next Generation Science Standard each story supports. The site’s more engaging stories and imag- ery helped increase the year’s traffic to more than six million visitors, representing readers in more than 120 nations. A generous Lemelson Foundation grant in 2016 enabled SNS to boost its news coverage to include stories that showcase how science and engineering drive clever and important developments in invention and innovation. Many other SNS stories were especially

timely. For instance, just minutes after the February 11 announcement that gravitational waves had been confirmed, SNS posted three stories describing the unusual phenomenon, how gravitational waves were identified and the long hunt for these signals that had been racing across space and time. Similarly, a few weeks after the contentious U.S. presidential election, SNS posted “Racism hurts.” This story reported on the post-election spread of racism, especially in schools. Other major SNS stories in 2016 included “A woman’s place is in science,” which high- lighted the growing participation of women in research. It was accompanied by related stories as well as 19 blog posts showcasing 150 women across all STEMfields—working on all seven continents.

Launched in August 2016, this newwebsite for Science News for Students better showcases our award-winning journalism. The new site features enhanced design elements with improved navigation, newmedia capability and an internal blog network.

2016 ANNUAL REPORT | SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC | 35