Seventeen scientists at the start of his career will reflect complex research in convincing stories for the public as a mass of the AAAS mass media this summer. Scholarship holders are placed in the media across the country and Puerto Rico, including NPR,, Los Angeles Times, Idaho Statesman and Stat.
The program, founded in 1975, also celebrates its 50th birthday This year.
“Mass media scholarship holders AAAS help fill the narrative gap between science and journalism for 50 years now, and this is an incredibly important thing,” said AAAS director general, Sudip Parikh. “We need journalists who understand the science they cover, and we also need scientists who are able to communicate effectively with an audience that may not have scientific training – you get this through scholarships like this.”
Mass media scholarship holders are made up of scientists at the start of an current and recent collegial level career in college level who are looking for science experience in a general audience. Scholarship holders are integrated into the local, national and specialized media in the context of this immersive scholarship.
The program improves scientific journalism in a critical way: opening doors to long -term careers in scientific communication, developing skills in scientific journalism thanks to practical experience and mentoring, by granting access to a large network of scholarship holders and former MMF students, and to successfully place scholarship holders where they can make significant contributions to scientific journalism.
“Each former media to whom I spoke told me that the scholarship has changed life,” said Chad Small, a new scholarship holder who is currently pursuing a doctorate in atmospheric and climatic sciences at Washington University.
“This has even changed the way they addressed their research,” added Small. “As a person with past journalism experience and also experience as a scientist, the mass media scholarship seemed perfect for me, and an opportunity to grow as a writer and as a thinker.”
Small will spend his summer to introduce himself to Inside Climate News.
The scholarship holders will start their summer by meeting at the AAAS headquarters in Washington, DC for orientation, where they will participate in a course in scientific writing crash covering the ins and outs of writing and reports for newspapers, magazines, online articles, radio and podcasts. Scholarship holders publish at a high volume during their 10 -week investments in their host editorial rooms – Class 2024 produced a total of 293 articles, including 37 page investments.
Gerardo E. Alvarado León, short story at El Nuevo Día And the host of the Spanish scholarship holder of MMF, pointed out how the scholarship was mutually beneficial.
“In the past five years, have a mass media scholarship holder at El Nuevo Día Was an enriching experience at the same time for them, who learn daily work of a editorial room and perfect their journalistic skills, and for us, who benefit from their knowledge and their scientific expertise, “said Alvarado León.” Having such precious resources, with unique information about the environment around us, is an opportunity not to miss. “”
The 2025 cohort joins nearly 900 former MMFs, many of whom continued to serve as scientific journalists, editors, public information officers and scientific communicators.
“In 50 years, the program has supported dozens of talented scientific communicators on a learning trip how the news is made,” said Olivia Monahan, director of the AAAS media engineering program program. “In a changing media landscape and a changing scientific ecosystem, the need for the program to continue for 50 years is clear. AAAS helps produce a legacy of stellar scientific communicators who can share critical and informed stories with the public. ”
For more information on organizations sponsoring scholarship holders this summer and for the criteria for requesting future courses, visit aaas.org/programs/mass-media-fellowship.
Mass media scholarship holders in 2025 and their reception sites are as follows. (To see their sponsors, visit the Program page.):
- Sofia Caetano Avritzer, News News
- Amber X. Chen, Smithsonian Magazine
- Bianca Garcia, Wunc – Northern Caroline Public Radio
- Peter Hall, Mit Technology Review
- Emma Hasson, American scientist
- Amber Hazzard, The News & Observer
- Shraddha Lall, the conversation we
- Olivia Maule, El Nuevo Día
- Andrew Montequin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Meagan Mulcair, new scientist
- Alex Musique, Idaho Statesman
- Niamh Ordner, Los Angeles Times
- Michal Ruprecht, NPR
- Marissa Russo, stat
- Risa Schnely, Cascadia Daily News
- Chad Small, Inside Climate News
- Sam Totoni, St. Louis Post-Dispatch