Who I am: Stephen Cheng | Facebook
Where I live: China
What I do: When I started in Beijing 15 years ago, nobody used to pay attention to China’s science. Trending topics then were poverty, corruption, pollution. But in the eyes of humble Chinese scientists I saw fire. They wanted to change the world. So I kept digging and hit a trove of explosive stories.
Why science journalism: Science is hard but it gives hope. A science reporter has the privilege to wear a big, easy smile in an war drum beating newsroom. You know things that most people don’t. A new gene-editing tool to cure disease or AI to catch corrupt government officials can ignite a party crowd.
Suggestions for newcomers:
- Don’t limit yourself to just one discipline, try as many different topics as possible, if they interest you.
- Always treat your readers with utmost respect, and that means treating them as primary school students.
- Work closely with your editors, because they are paid big to help.