Take the survey: Diversity and barriers in UK science journalism

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The ABSW, together with the Science Communication Unit at the University of the West of England, launched a survey to explore the barriers to entering science journalism in the UK, as well as the challenges faced by journalists working in the field. The results collected between June and July will be presented in an online session at the Science Journalism Forum (SJF2025) on Thursday, 30 October, from 13:30 to 14:15 (GMT).

But to get a better picture of this community, the survey needs more entries.

People who haven't filled out the survey can do so by Tuesday, 11 November, 23:59 (BST), and everyone is invited to share it with fellows.

This survey focuses on science journalism, but it may not be your main profession. Have you tried to enter the field but found barriers that stopped you from achieving your goal? You are invited to share your experience.

You don't need to be working full-time as a journalist or writer; the important thing is to understand how much time you can dedicate to the profession and why. Maybe there are barriers you can spot.

The team is looking for staff and freelancers working in print, online, broadcasting, podcasting, or other formats/supports to capture the full range of working realities in science journalism.

If you're a student, an early-career professional, a senior journalist or retired, you can also reply to the survey. You'll bring different perspectives to a research project that plans to be as diverse as possible.

If you have caring responsibilities, are not British, have a disability, or belong to a minority group (whether related to ancestry, religion, gender identity, or otherwise), we want to hear from you. Diversity is a key focus of our survey—the only way to create an accurate profile of journalists and writers whose work is published or broadcast in the UK.

The survey takes around 30 minutes to complete. It’s a bit of a commitment — but please stick with it till the end. The insights you provide will help a better understanding of the challenges people face and how one can drive meaningful change.

Take the survey here

Know more about this survey

Diversity isn’t just a buzzword. Whether you’re new to the ABSW or just need a reminder, we want to emphasise that the ABSW Board is committed to making both our association and our profession more inclusive, diverse and representative. It’s not just a goal—it’s a priority.

That’s why we’ve launched and supported a range of initiatives—from diversity scholarships for our Summer School and the UK Conference of Science Journalists, to our partnership with UKRI as Lead Diversity and Inclusion Partner, to dedicated sessions and resources on equity and inclusion [here and here]. We’re taking action—but we know there’s still a lot to learn, and we want to ground that work in real evidence.

That’s where you come in. Together with the Science Communication Unit at the University of the West of England, we’re running a survey to explore the barriers to entering science journalism in the UK as well as the challenges faced by journalists working in the field—and we need your input. The research is being led by Andy Ridgway, Senior Lecturer at UWE and an ABSW Board member, and forms part of the COALESCE project, an EU-funded initiative that supports journalism and science communication across Europe.

This is one of the first studies of its kind in the UK, looking specifically at diversity and barriers to entering science journalism—including broadcasting, podcasting and science writing—as well as the challenges faced by those already working in the field. It asks about:

• Your current employment situation
• Whether you’ve faced barriers entering the field
• Any experience of discrimination, harassment or hate speech linked to your work
• And a few other things that will help us understand what needs to change

You can always skip questions or select “Prefer not to say”—and all responses will remain confidential.

Your answers will help us, and our partners, build a clearer picture of what’s happening in science journalism today—and what needs to change for tomorrow.