8.3 Challenges of shooting science

When choosing a story, you need to consider not only the significance of a given problem to mankind, your country or perhaps a specific group of people, but you must also be able to estimate your own abilities and potential.

You will need confidence because throughout your work you might run into criticism, suggestions to start again with another approach, or a lack of understanding. You need the humility to know what you don’t know, and must ensure that you understand an idea well enough to convey it in simple, basic terms to the average person.

You will need to be physically fit because you might need to cross deep precipices and to climb mountains to shoot a tiny, rare flower. If you shoot in areas stricken with disease, you might have to undergo vaccinations and observe a strict hygienic regime. If you shoot in conflict areas, you will have to respect what you are told by soldiers or bodyguards who accompany you. If you are interested in medical issues, such as new surgery methods, you must not faint when confronted with blood, and you must be able to examine exposed human organs.

You will need really strong motivation because you will run into all sorts of obstacles, just as with investigative reporting in any medium. And it might well be that you will never get due credit for the work you deliver in the name of independent journalism, which can also happen in print, broadcast or online outlets. Therefore, your main reward must be the work – the TV science reporting – itself!


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