Welcome to the next iteration of Science News! I’m thrilled to introduce a new look and format that includes everything you have always loved about this magazine, as well as new elements to enhance your experience. As our team embarked on this project, we knew we had to stay true to our 104-year-old mission of providing accurate, timely news about science to the public. So we proceeded carefully.
We surveyed readers (thank you for your insights), explored magazine industry trends and weighed how best to honor our legacy while ensuring that Science News will continue to be relevant for years to come. Most importantly, we wanted to better serve our readers, who range from intellectually curious people to STEM professionals to students at almost 6,000 high schools.
One immediately obvious change is the magazine’s size and heft, with larger pages and twice the average number of pages. We’ve also upgraded our visual storytelling with more photography, illustrations and data visualizations. Images are key to understanding science, from a eureka moment sketched on a napkin to schematics of a complex process invisible to the eye. And we’ve added new ways to engage with science in our lives, including a health column, essays on science in popular culture and science-themed puzzles.
With this issue, we also move from publishing biweekly to a monthly format, with each month’s magazine the equivalent size of one of our former double issues. This is the latest in a long evolution from Science News’ roots as a bulletin mailed to newspapers to a consumer newsletter, a weekly magazine and a biweekly. The new publishing schedule makes it possible for us to deliver more in-depth coverage and amazing visuals while ensuring that you continue to get comprehensive coverage across the sciences.
We know many readers revisit the magazine, with some archiving issues for decades, so the paper has been upgraded to provide a premium experience. Our goal is to ensure that the monthly format will stand the test of time. We hope you enjoy exploring this issue, which delivers the coverage you depend on plus some new adventures. Let us know what you think. Email us at editors@sciencenews.org.
