Science is more than lab coats and Bunsen burners. This free one-hour “crash course”—designed specifically for local and general assignment reporters—teaches basic principles about how social science works and ways it can be used to strengthen virtually any news story with a human element, especially this election season.

Former longtime Washington Post science reporter Rick Weiss and Ph.D. neuroscientist Dr. Tori Espensen together lay out key do’s, don’ts, and pitfalls to watch for when including science in your news reporting.