The Journalist's Resource

The Journalist's Resource The Journalist’s Resource is a project of Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

We examine news topics through a research lens. Our mission is to inform the news by bridging the communications gap between academia and journalism. Our goal: to get more high-quality research into the media stream.

Bad weather dampens Election Day turnout. Studies suggest mail ballots and other alternative voting methods can help. If...
11/02/2024

Bad weather dampens Election Day turnout. Studies suggest mail ballots and other alternative voting methods can help. If you're reporting on the Election Day weather forecast, check out our explainer, which highlights important academic research to inform your story.

Bad weather discourages Election Day voting. Research suggests mail ballots and other alternative voting methods can reduce the impact.

🗳️ Vote-by-Mail in 2024: What Journalists Should Know 📬As vote-by-mail continues to shape U.S. elections, this piece off...
11/02/2024

🗳️ Vote-by-Mail in 2024: What Journalists Should Know 📬

As vote-by-mail continues to shape U.S. elections, this piece offers journalists essential insights into how mail-in ballots are processed and the challenges that could affect the 2024 election cycle.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Understand processing timelines: Learn about the steps involved in counting mail-in ballots and potential delays.
• Report on election security: Explore measures in place to ensure the accuracy and integrity of vote-by-mail systems.
• Highlight voter accessibility: Discover how mail-in voting can improve access for certain populations, and the barriers that remain.

📖 Read more:

Check out our interactive timeline and find out when your state can start processing advance ballots for the November 2024 general election.

📢 Engaging Young Voters: Colleges Play a Key Role in Turnout 🗳️Research shows that college students are a crucial voting...
11/01/2024

📢 Engaging Young Voters: Colleges Play a Key Role in Turnout 🗳️

Research shows that college students are a crucial voting bloc, with campus environments significantly influencing their engagement. Journalists can use these insights to explore factors that drive youth turnout and the role of colleges in supporting civic participation.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Highlight turnout trends: Understand how college campuses impact student voting rates and participation.
• Spotlight engagement strategies: Explore initiatives that encourage young voters to register and head to the polls.
• Report on barriers: Identify challenges young voters face, from registration hurdles to lack of information.

📖 Read more:

We examine research on the voting habits of Millennials, Generation Z and college students and colleges' efforts to mobilize young voters.

🗳️ Ranked-Choice Voting: What Journalists Should Know 🔢As ranked-choice voting (RCV) gains traction in U.S. elections, t...
10/30/2024

🗳️ Ranked-Choice Voting: What Journalists Should Know 🔢

As ranked-choice voting (RCV) gains traction in U.S. elections, this research provides a deep dive into how it works and its potential effects on election outcomes. Journalists covering voting systems can use these insights to better inform the public about RCV.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Explain the process: Learn how RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, and how that impacts vote counting.
• Discuss potential benefits: Report on claims that RCV may reduce polarization and give voters more choice.
• Highlight implementation challenges: Understand the logistical and educational hurdles communities face when adopting RCV.

📖 Read more:

Ranked choice voting is on the ballot in 6 states and Washington, D.C. this November. Here's what you need to know to enhance your coverage.

📊 Polls & Surveys: 5 Things Every Journalist Should Know 🗣️Polls and surveys are powerful tools in reporting, but interp...
10/29/2024

📊 Polls & Surveys: 5 Things Every Journalist Should Know 🗣️

Polls and surveys are powerful tools in reporting, but interpreting them correctly is crucial. This guide provides journalists with five key insights to enhance their understanding and reporting of polling data.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Evaluate sample sizes: Learn how sample size impacts the accuracy and reliability of poll results.
• Understand margin of error: Get tips on interpreting the margin of error to avoid misleading conclusions.
• Spot biases: Recognize the potential for bias in how surveys are conducted and questions are framed.

📖 Read more:

Journalists who want to learn about the benefits and pitfalls of poll and survey research can start with these five things.

🏥 Health Care Access for Migrants, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees in the U.S. 🌍Navigating the U.S. healthcare system can b...
10/28/2024

🏥 Health Care Access for Migrants, Asylum Seekers, and Refugees in the U.S. 🌍

Navigating the U.S. healthcare system can be particularly challenging for migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. This comprehensive research roundup provides journalists with essential insights into the barriers they face and how these populations seek care.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Understand the challenges: Learn about the legal, financial, and language barriers that hinder access to healthcare for these groups.
• Report on health disparities: Explore how limited healthcare access contributes to health inequities in immigrant communities.
• Highlight policy impacts: Analyze how U.S. policies affect healthcare availability for migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees.

📖 Read more:

This piece will help journalists use research findings to highlight the numerous health challenges that migrants face.

🗳️ Poll Worker Safety: Addressing Threats and Violence 🚨Research highlights the growing threats and violence faced by po...
10/27/2024

🗳️ Poll Worker Safety: Addressing Threats and Violence 🚨

Research highlights the growing threats and violence faced by poll workers. Journalists covering elections can use these insights to report on the challenges that election officials and volunteers are confronting, and how this could impact future elections.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Understand the risks: Learn about the nature and scale of threats against poll workers and the potential effects on election integrity.
• Explore safety measures: Report on the actions being taken to protect poll workers and ensure safe, secure elections.
• Highlight policy solutions: Dive into proposed legislation and initiatives aimed at safeguarding election officials and volunteers.

📖 Read more:

What journalists should know about poll workers, the history of electoral violence and if Americans think political violence is justified.

🗳️ Voter Registration: Key Insights for Journalists 🗂️Understanding voter registration trends is essential as elections ...
10/26/2024

🗳️ Voter Registration: Key Insights for Journalists 🗂️

Understanding voter registration trends is essential as elections approach. This article explores the factors that influence voter registration and how different policies impact participation rates. Journalists can use these findings to inform their election coverage.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Analyze policy impacts: Learn how voter ID laws, automatic registration, and other policies affect who registers to vote.
• Spot participation gaps: Report on disparities in voter registration across demographic groups and regions.
• Track trends for 2024: Use research-backed insights to anticipate voter turnout and engagement in upcoming elections.

📖 Read more:

In the U.S., voter registration is a complicated process and a key reason more Americans don’t participate in elections, research suggests.

🗣️ Question Order Bias in Polls: Why It Matters for Journalists 🗳️The order of questions in surveys and polls can shape ...
10/25/2024

🗣️ Question Order Bias in Polls: Why It Matters for Journalists 🗳️

The order of questions in surveys and polls can shape responses, potentially leading to skewed results. Journalists reporting on polling data should understand how question order bias impacts public opinion findings.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Spot potential bias: Learn how question sequencing can influence survey outcomes and affect your reporting.
• Enhance poll analysis: Use this knowledge to critically assess the reliability of polling data in your stories.
• Improve public trust: Report accurately on the limitations and design of polls to provide balanced, unbiased information.

📖 Read more:

Question order bias can affect how people answer questions. These five tips can help journalists avoid covering problematic polls and surveys.

🏥 Nonprofit Hospitals and Tax Benefits: Are Communities Getting Enough in Return? 💡New research examines whether nonprof...
10/24/2024

🏥 Nonprofit Hospitals and Tax Benefits: Are Communities Getting Enough in Return? 💡

New research examines whether nonprofit hospitals provide enough community benefits to justify their tax-exempt status. Journalists covering health care can use these findings to explore the balance between tax breaks and public health impact.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Uncover the financial trade-offs: Learn how much nonprofit hospitals save in taxes versus how much they invest in community health programs.
• Explore health equity: Investigate whether these hospitals are serving vulnerable populations adequately.
• Highlight accountability: Report on the policies that could ensure hospitals give back more to their communities.

📖 Read more:

Nonprofit hospitals' tax exemptions have come under scrutiny by lawmakers and researchers. A JAMA study breaks down their tax benefits.

📊 Polls & Surveys: 5 Things Every Journalist Should Know 🗣️Polls and surveys are powerful tools in reporting, but interp...
10/23/2024

📊 Polls & Surveys: 5 Things Every Journalist Should Know 🗣️

Polls and surveys are powerful tools in reporting, but interpreting them correctly is crucial. This guide provides journalists with five key insights to enhance their understanding and reporting of polling data.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Evaluate sample sizes: Learn how sample size impacts the accuracy and reliability of poll results.
• Understand margin of error: Get tips on interpreting the margin of error to avoid misleading conclusions.
• Spot biases: Recognize the potential for bias in how surveys are conducted and questions are framed.

📖 Read more:

Question order bias can affect how people answer questions. These five tips can help journalists avoid covering problematic polls and surveys.

🚗 Ma*****na and Driving: What Journalists Need to Know 🌿As ma*****na legalization expands, understanding its impact on r...
10/22/2024

🚗 Ma*****na and Driving: What Journalists Need to Know 🌿

As ma*****na legalization expands, understanding its impact on road safety is critical. Research explores how cannabis use affects driving abilities and the implications for public safety.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Explore impairment risks: Learn how ma*****na affects driving skills like reaction time and coordination.
• Report on public safety concerns: Understand the challenges law enforcement faces in detecting ma*****na impairment.
• Highlight policy discussions: Cover the ongoing debates around DUI laws and ma*****na testing methods.

📖 Read more:

The two most common methods for measuring ma*****na use in impaired drivers are blood and saliva tests, but both methods have been criticized.

🗳️ Vote-by-Mail in 2024: Key Research for Journalists 📬With vote-by-mail playing a crucial role in upcoming elections, t...
10/21/2024

🗳️ Vote-by-Mail in 2024: Key Research for Journalists 📬

With vote-by-mail playing a crucial role in upcoming elections, this research dives into how mail-in ballots are processed and the challenges that could shape the 2024 election results. Journalists covering elections can use this to inform their reporting.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Understand the logistics: Learn about the steps and potential delays involved in processing mail-in ballots.
• Cover election integrity: Explore how vote-by-mail systems maintain security and accuracy.
• Highlight accessibility: Report on how mail-in voting can impact voter participation, especially for marginalized groups.

📖 Read more:

Check out our interactive timeline and find out when your state can start processing advance ballots for the November 2024 general election.

Our 2024 election collection includes resources to help you cover surveys and opinion polls, voting issues, election adm...
10/18/2024

Our 2024 election collection includes resources to help you cover surveys and opinion polls, voting issues, election administration issues, local elections, and ballot measure topics.

To help journalists cover the 2024 U.S. election, we share a collection of the election-related resources we’ve published so far this year.

📊 Understanding Nationally Representative Samples in Research 🔬Journalists often report on research, but knowing what a ...
10/17/2024

📊 Understanding Nationally Representative Samples in Research 🔬

Journalists often report on research, but knowing what a “nationally representative sample” means is key to interpreting studies accurately. This guide breaks down how these samples work, especially in clinical trials, to ensure that reporting is grounded in solid, representative data.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Clarify research validity: Learn how nationally representative samples make studies more generalizable to the wider population.
• Understand clinical trial design: Explore how these samples ensure diverse participant representation in health research.
• Avoid misinterpretation: Get tips on how to critically assess whether a study’s sample truly reflects the population.

📖 Read more

This tip sheet explains what a nationally representative sample is and why journalists need to scrutinize research samples.

🗳️ The Link Between Voting and Health Care Access 🏥New research reveals how voting policies and health care access are i...
10/16/2024

🗳️ The Link Between Voting and Health Care Access 🏥

New research reveals how voting policies and health care access are interconnected. Journalists can leverage these insights to explore how political participation impacts health outcomes and what that means for communities in the 2024 election cycle.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Explore policy impacts: Learn how voting laws influence health care access and outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations.
• Highlight equity issues: Report on the disparities in both voting rights and health care access across different demographics.
• Connect voting to public health: Uncover the ways civic engagement can shape public health policies and systems.

📖 Read more:

Public health champions emphasize the importance of voter registration, noting that voting and health are associated.

🔒 Preventing Child Access to Fi****ms: Key Research for Journalists 🧒🏼Research highlights the importance of child access...
10/15/2024

🔒 Preventing Child Access to Fi****ms: Key Research for Journalists 🧒🏼

Research highlights the importance of child access prevention (CAP) laws in reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths. Journalists can use these insights to inform the public on how these laws impact safety and what measures can be taken to protect children.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Understand CAP laws: Explore how these laws work and their effectiveness in reducing child access to guns.
• Highlight public health impacts: Report on the significant drop in firearm injuries and deaths in states with strict CAP laws.
• Raise awareness: Inform communities about the importance of safe firearm storage and the role of legislation in promoting safety.

📖 Read more:

We look at what the research says about whether child access prevention and safe storage laws work to prevent gun violence.

💻 Supporting Journalists Facing Online Abuse 🤝Journalists are increasingly targeted by online harassment. This guide hig...
10/13/2024

💻 Supporting Journalists Facing Online Abuse 🤝

Journalists are increasingly targeted by online harassment. This guide highlights the importance of peer support networks to help journalists navigate and combat digital abuse while maintaining mental health.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Find strength in community: Learn how peer support networks can offer emotional and practical assistance for journalists under attack.
• Protect mental health: Discover resources to mitigate the emotional toll of online abuse.
• Build resilience: Explore strategies for developing a stronger response to digital harassment.

📖 Read more:

The report fills an important gap in knowledge about the existing structures of peer support networks, inside and outside of the news industry, effective models from outside the industry that could be adopted, and journalists’ general views and needs for peer support.

🦟 Dengue Fever Research: A Growing Global Concern 🌍Dengue fever cases are on the rise, impacting millions worldwide. Thi...
10/12/2024

🦟 Dengue Fever Research: A Growing Global Concern 🌍

Dengue fever cases are on the rise, impacting millions worldwide. This comprehensive research roundup provides journalists with key insights into the causes, risks, and prevention strategies to report accurately on this pressing public health issue.

Why it’s important for journalists:

• Understand the outbreak patterns: Get the latest data on dengue hotspots and how the disease is spreading.
• Report on public health solutions: Learn about ongoing efforts to combat the virus and reduce its impact.
• Inform communities: Help raise awareness on prevention measures and how vulnerable areas can prepare.

📖 Read more:

In this research roundup, we provide a brief overview of dengue, followed by summaries of several research studies.

(From our archives)🌪️ Covering Hurricanes and Tropical Storms: Essential Guide for Journalists 🌊With hurricane seasons b...
10/10/2024

(From our archives)
🌪️ Covering Hurricanes and Tropical Storms: Essential Guide for Journalists 🌊

With hurricane seasons becoming more intense, this research roundup offers key insights to help journalists better report on emergency management and preparedness for extreme weather events.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Improve emergency reporting: Learn about effective communication strategies to inform the public before, during, and after storms.
• Understand disaster preparedness: Explore research on how communities can better prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms.
• Highlight vulnerable populations: Discover how to report on the unique challenges faced by at-risk communities during these events.

📖 Read more:

2016 tip sheet offering a list of weather-related resources to aid journalists in covering hurricanes and tropical storms.

As we face unprecedented global temperatures, new research reveals critical insights about the trends and consequences o...
10/09/2024

As we face unprecedented global temperatures, new research reveals critical insights about the trends and consequences of the world’s rapidly warming climate. Journalists covering environmental issues will find this research invaluable for their reporting.

Key takeaways for journalists:

• Highlight the data: Explore how 2023 is on track to be the hottest year ever recorded and what this means globally.
• Contextualize local impacts: Use regional climate trends to explain how global warming is affecting communities near you.
• Spotlight solutions: Identify policies and actions that scientists recommend to address rising temperatures.

📖 Read more:

Here’s what the research says on why 2023 was a record warm year and how climate predictions affect a range of news beats, from agriculture to aviation. Plus, 3 tips for covering climate change.

🗳️ New Research Alert: Bad Weather and Voter Turnout ☔As Election Day nears, the impact of bad weather on voter turnout ...
10/08/2024

🗳️ New Research Alert: Bad Weather and Voter Turnout ☔

As Election Day nears, the impact of bad weather on voter turnout is an under-discussed factor. This new study unpacks how weather conditions may influence electoral participation and could offer critical insights for journalists covering elections.

Why it matters to journalists:

• Uncover voter behavior trends: Learn how rain or snow can lower turnout, potentially affecting the outcomes.
• Localize your reporting: Compare weather forecasts with historical data to predict potential turnout shifts in your area.
• Prepare your coverage strategies: Use these insights to plan Election Day stories that highlight weather-related voting challenges.

📖 Read more:

Bad weather discourages Election Day voting. Research suggests mail ballots and other alternative voting methods can reduce the impact.

📊 Question Order Bias in Surveys and Polls: What Journalists Should Know 📝 • How can the order of questions affect surve...
10/06/2024

📊 Question Order Bias in Surveys and Polls: What Journalists Should Know 📝

• How can the order of questions affect survey results and public opinion?
• Learn how to identify and report on question order bias in polls and research.
• Get insights to improve the accuracy of your data-driven reporting.

🔗 Read more:

Question order bias can affect how people answer questions. These five tips can help journalists avoid covering problematic polls and surveys.

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