Skip to content
Subscribe today

Every print subscription comes with full digital access

Subscribe Now
  • All Topics
    • Health
    • Humans
    • Life
    • Earth
    • Physics
    • Space
  • Magazine
  • Menu
    • All Stories
    • Multimedia
    • Reviews
    • Puzzles
    • Collections
    • Educator Portal
    • Century of Science
    • Unsung characters
    • Coronavirus Outbreak
    • Newsletters
  • About
  • SN Explores
  • Our Store
Donate
Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921 SIGN IN
Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921
  • All Topics
    • Earth
      • Agriculture
      • Climate
      • Oceans
      • Environment
    • Humans
      • Anthropology
      • Health & Medicine
      • Archaeology
      • Psychology
    • Life
      • Animals
      • Plants
      • Ecosystems
      • Paleontology
      • Neuroscience
      • Genetics
      • Microbes
    • Physics
      • Materials Science
      • Quantum Physics
      • Particle Physics
    • Space
      • Astronomy
      • Planetary Science
      • Cosmology
    • Tech
      • Computing
      • Artificial Intelligence
    • Chemistry
    • Math
    • Science & Society
    • All Topics
  • Health
  • Humans
    • Humans
      • Anthropology
      • Health & Medicine
      • Archaeology
      • Psychology
    • Recent posts in Humans

      • Health & Medicine

        A molecule produced by gut microbes may help spur heart disease

        By Aimee Cunningham2 hours ago
      • Health & Medicine

        You may already have some protection from bird flu, but don’t count on it

        By Tina Hesman SaeyJuly 29, 2025
      • Health & Medicine

        Seeing sick faces may prime the immune system to repel invaders

        By Simon MakinJuly 28, 2025
  • Life
    • Life
      • Animals
      • Plants
      • Ecosystems
      • Paleontology
      • Neuroscience
      • Genetics
      • Microbes
    • Recent posts in Life

      • Health & Medicine

        A molecule produced by gut microbes may help spur heart disease

        By Aimee Cunningham2 hours ago
      • Health & Medicine

        You may already have some protection from bird flu, but don’t count on it

        By Tina Hesman SaeyJuly 29, 2025
      • Animals

        Some killer whales hunt in pairs to maximize their bounty

        By Kristel TjandraJuly 28, 2025
  • Earth
    • Earth
      • Agriculture
      • Climate
      • Oceans
      • Environment
    • Recent posts in Earth

      • Climate

        What to know about the extreme U.S. flooding — and ways to stay safe

        By Carolyn GramlingJuly 17, 2025
      • Earth

        How hot can Earth get? Our planet’s climate history holds clues

        By Elise CuttsJuly 17, 2025
      • Climate

        Trees can’t get up and walk away, but forests can

        By Sophie HartleyJuly 10, 2025
  • Physics
    • Physics
      • Materials Science
      • Quantum Physics
      • Particle Physics
    • Recent posts in Physics

      • Quantum Physics

        A quantum computer goes to space

        By Emily Conover4 hours ago
      • Health & Medicine

        An injected gel could make drugs like Ozempic last longer

        By Meghan RosenJuly 24, 2025
      • Space

        The biggest black hole smashup ever detected challenges physics theories

        By Emily ConoverJuly 13, 2025
  • Space
    • Space
      • Astronomy
      • Planetary Science
      • Cosmology
    • Recent posts in Space

      • Quantum Physics

        A quantum computer goes to space

        By Emily Conover4 hours ago
      • Astronomy

        Two colliding galaxies may have birthed this black hole

        By McKenzie PrillamanJuly 29, 2025
      • Astronomy

        Betelgeuse’s companion star revealed in new images

        By Mara Johnson-GrohJuly 21, 2025
Sponsored Content

Reflecting on the future of Science News

Share this:

  • Share via email (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Maya Ajmera, president and chief executive officer of Society for Science & the Public and publisher of Science News Cade Martin
My first anniversary as president and chief executive officer of Society for Science & the Public and publisher of Science News is rapidly approaching, and I wanted to take a moment to share some of the successes and the challenges we have faced this year.

The first thing I want to share is my gratitude to you, as members of the Society and Science News readers. When I joined the Society, I was told our readers were a loyal group of dedicated science enthusiasts and practitioners, but I am overwhelmed by your recent displays of commitment toward the future of this publication.

In a reader survey completed earlier this year, 79 percent of our paid readers said that they “definitely will” renew their Science News subscribing membership. That’s a testament not only to your loyalty, but to the fine work Editor in Chief Eva Emerson and her terrific staff of science journalists, designers and producers do on a daily basis in print and online.

Many of you also did something quite remarkable this year. For the first time, we askedScience News subscribing members to consider becoming donors to the Society for Science & the Public. I am overwhelmed by the level of generosity and commitment to the cause of excellent science journalism that you have shown. Your donations help us to produce all the quality publications in the Science News Media Group, including our free online Science News for Students publication, as well as supporting the Society’s science competitions and education efforts.

I’m sure most of you know how difficult it is to maintain a high-quality news operation these days. All publishers are struggling to survive in the digital age, as subscription and advertising revenue continues to decline and people increasingly get their news from social media feeds free of charge.

Our own decline in subscribers has largely tracked that of other general interest newspapers and magazines. At its height in the late 1980s, Science News had a paid circulation of almost 250,000. Since then, print circulation has fallen steadily, to 225,000 in 1991, 135,000 in 2006 and 94,000 today. Along the way, production costs have continued to rise, yet we’ve managed to maintain our commitment to providing you with concise, current and comprehensive news. As a result, our publishing efforts have had an annual operating deficit for several years. We are working on multiple ways to reduce our anticipated 2015 losses through smart cost-cutting and new revenue initiatives.

In recent years, our editorial and technology teams have worked hard to make sure new and longtime readers can enjoy Science News in any format they choose. Our award-winning website, sciencenews.org, redesigned nearly two years ago, looks terrific on mobile devices and tablets and now averages more than a million visits every month. And our social media audience has grown to more than 2 million Science News fans on Facebook, up from fewer than 100,000 in 2013, and 1.4 million followers on Twitter.

What teachers say about Science News in High Schools

 

Science News would be a great resource instead of some of the resources my students choose. If I had access and it was easy for students, they may choose this instead of unreliable sources.

— Biology teacher, Douglas County, Colo.

I have purchased Science News from my own funds for several years. Any help is appreciated to get new materials into the hands of these students.

— Special needs science teacher, Gages Lake, Ill.

I have seen and used your publication previously. Submitting through the budget process each year is a bit cumbersome. This would be great.

— Science teacher, Johnstown, Pa.

Quotes are from an April 2015 SSP survey of 737 science teachers.

But new readers do not instantly bring new revenue. Our real challenge, as it is for many publishers, is to convert casual readers of our free online news updates and blogs into subscribing members and donors who want to read and support Science News’ premium features and news stories. Our donor campaign was one way to fill our revenue-expense gap. And we are moving forward on other fronts as well, including:

  • Exploring ways to give online readers more options when paying forScience News content, including digital-only offers and the ability to purchase one article at a time.
  • Discussing partnerships with publishers in the United States, China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea that would include producing print and e-book compilations of Science News and Science News for Students.
  • Renewing our emphasis on improving the number and quality of advertisers you see in Science News, both in print and online.
  • Reaching out to philanthropists who share our commitment to excellence in journalism.

Perhaps the most exciting new program I want to tell you about is Science News in High Schools. The idea is simple: For $500, an individual or an organization can sponsor any high school’s subscription to Science News in print and online. Through this program, an entire school can enjoy full online access to sciencenews.org, including its archives of articles going back to 1924. Ten print copies of each issue of Science News would be delivered to the school’s library and science teachers for the school year.

We are thrilled to be announcing our new corporate partners in this program later this summer. These partners are sponsoring schools in specific geographic regions and helping us launch this effort for the 2015–2016 academic year. Our plans include rolling out the program to schools across the country and enabling teachers to ask for Science News sponsors on classroom-funding websites like DonorsChoose.org and ClassWish.org. 

This high school program is core to the Society’s mission to promote human advancement through science. But we have another interest as well: Today’s students are tomorrow’s loyal readers — and supporters — of Science News.

I will keep you updated on how these efforts, and others, are going over the next six to 12 months. We believe Science News can and will achieve the financial sustainability it needs to thrive for decades to come. But we need your help and support as we work together to keep Science News around for the next century. Public understanding of science is simply too critical to our well-being at the community, national and global levels. Publications likeScience News must continue providing cogent explanations of the most recent scientific discoveries. — Maya Ajmera

Science News

Science News was founded in 1921 as an independent, nonprofit source of accurate information on the latest news of science, medicine and technology. Today, our mission remains the same: to empower people to evaluate the news and the world around them. It is published by the Society for Science, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education (EIN 53-0196483).

  • Science News Explores
  • Science News Learning

Subscriber Services

  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • Follow Science News on Facebook
  • Follow Science News on X
  • Follow Science News via RSS
  • Follow Science News on Instagram
  • Follow Science News on YouTube
  • Follow Science News on TikTok
  • Follow Science News on Reddit
  • Follow Science News on Threads

More Information

  • FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Rights & Permissions
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Society for Science

  • About the Society
  • Society Store
  • Donate
  • Careers

© Society for Science & the Public 2000–2025. All rights reserved.

1719 N St. NW, Washington, DC 20036 202.785.2255
Terms of Service Privacy Policy

Log in

Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.

Not a subscriber?
Become one now.