Charting a course for the future of Science News
When Science News got its start in 1921, our founders knew that the surest path to deliver the latest news of science was through the dominant media of the day: newspapers. Our first iteration, Science News Bulletin, was mailed to subscribing newspapers across the country. Soon, librarians, teachers and science buffs asked if they could subscribe too. To meet that demand, in March 1922 the editors launched a new consumer publication, Science News-Letter (SN: 3/26/22, p. 16). That was the first iteration of the magazine you read today. And in 1924, they launched yet another new product: “Science News of the Week” scripts that announcers read on local radio stations. Radio had just debuted; the first commercial broadcast was in 1920. The editors were clearly eager to embrace this revolutionary technology. By the 1930s, we were on the air nationwide, partnering with CBS on the Adventures in Science show, featuring editor...