Science News will observe #ShutDownSTEM on June 10
On Wednesday, June 10, Science News will suspend publication for the day to join in #ShutDownSTEM and #StrikeforBlackLives. This movement — sparked by recent police killings of black people in the United States and the subsequent protests worldwide — is asking for those in the scientific community to acknowledge the role they play in perpetuating racism, and to engage directly in eliminating it. To that end, we will use this day away from the daily news cycle to start working to improve our coverage of race and inequity. That includes how we use language to describe people and their lives, who we call upon as sources, and the choices we make about news coverage. It also includes efforts increase diversity in our staff, which is predominantly white. Science News has a long history covering race in America, including research on stereotypes and stigma, racial bias in research funding, and how the lack of diverse representation in clinical trials risks lives. This year, we covered challenges scientists face...