Improving science literacy in the newsroom: Experimental evidence

Accurate reporting of new findings is essential for an informed public, yet limited science literacy among journalists often results in misinterpretation of research, with costly societal and economic consequences. We developed a concise educational video that aimed to enhance journalists’ science literacy through explaining important checkpoints for sound research reporting (funding, sample, statistics, causal claims, and visuals). The impact of this video was tested in a survey experiment with 260 German journalists. Treated participants produced correct headlines for 64% of study-based news stories versus 36% in the control group (a 28-percentage-point rise, P < 0.001). They also became more skeptical when evaluating existing articles, flagging more potential mistakes. An exploratory follow-up using 268 real-world articles suggests a reduction in factual mistakes by treated journalists. Our findings highlight that a brief, low-cost intervention can measurably improve the scientific accuracy of journalism, offering a scalable strategy for news organizations and training programs.