Every story is different, but sometimes it helps to have a mental checklist of questions to ask during interviews. NASW member Charles Choi offers his suggestions in a ScholarCast blog post on Nature's Scitable: "Although science writing might on the face of it largely seem about organizing and explaining concepts in ways understandable to audience, if the science writer did not ask the right questions to begin with, he or she will be at a loss to explain anything."

Technology makes things easier for journalists but it's also made it riskier for sources, Sherry Ricchiardi writes in an American Journalism Review story about new ways for governments and others to keep tabs on reporters: "Government spying and journalists being stalked are nothing new. It's the methods that have changed. The Washington Post's Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein didn't have to worry about Trojans stealing the identities of their Watergate sources."

The National Academy of Sciences held a colloquium in May, “The Science of Science Communication,” at which dozens of science communication researchers discussed how lay audiences perceive science information. The major goal of this meeting was “to improve the understanding, relations between scientific community and the public,” said NAS President Ralph J. Cicerone. From the Summer 2012 ScienceWriters.

Thursday is the deadline to apply for an NASW travel fellowship to attend ScienceWriters2012 in Research Triangle, N.C. Three different types of fellowships are available, with awards ranging from $750 to $1,200. For instructions and more information, see the ScienceWriters2012 FAQ page. Don't forget the early-bird discount to register for ScienceWriters2012 is available only until Sept. 14. Registration closes Oct. 10.