11:00am EST., Friday February 14th

Presenting Live via Zoom

Title: What is the Value of Space Journalism?

Sharing space exploration with the public is both a science and an art. This talk will discuss some of the biggest stories of human and robotic space exploration in recent history and how my colleagues and I have chosen the language and narratives to communicate concepts and information about space exploration to a general audience. We will also talk about the challenges and ethical considerations of reporting on cutting-edge missions and use real-world examples to assess how journalism shapes the public perception of space exploration and its legacy.

Ashley Yeager is an associate editor at Science News. Previously, she worked at The Scientist, as a freelance editor and writer, and as a writer at the Simons Foundation, Duke University, and the W.M. Keck Observatory. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Her book, Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter and Beyond, on the life of astronomer Vera Rubin, was published by MIT Press in 2021.