Apocalypse how? The challenge of writing freshly about huge intractable problems

Now more than ever, science writers must cover problems that are both notoriously stubborn and increasingly urgent: climate change; cataclysmic losses of biological diversity; sexism, racism, and harassment; the threat of epidemic disease; packed coastal areas woefully unprepared for disasters; bloated healthcare that neglects millions. How do we freshly address such issues when they've been written about endlessly? How does one engage both subject and audience in new ways?

To explore this question, we've gathered three journalists who've answered it memorably — the New Yorker's Kathryn Schulz, with the Pulitzer Prize-winning feature "The Big One," about an inevitable West Coast mega-quake; National Geographic contributing writer David Quammen, with iconic books, such as "The Song of the Dodo" and "Spillover", and magazine work on zoonotic diseases and the erosion of biodiversity; and Buzzfeed science editor Virginia Hughes, who has overseen that publication's truly game-changing reporting on sexual harassment in science — will take queries from the audience, one another, and moderator Matt Shipman, who writes about science both independently and for North Carolina State University. In a structured discussion followed by a half-hour of audience questions, Hughes, Quammen, and Schulz will describe how decisions made throughout a story process, including elements such as story concept and scope, reporting strategy and tactics, and narrative structure and tone, can spark new interest and deeper understanding in topics already heavily mined — and even bring overdue justice in areas that seem intractable.

Please join us for what promises to be a memorable, lively, and fruitful session.

Social media hashtag: #ApocalypseHow