With the fall season covering everything from AIDS to cryptocurrency to the canals of Venice, NOVA’s portfolio of shows is intentionally “all over the map,” says co-executive producer Chris Schmidt.
But there is a method to creating just the right mix of episodes, he adds. The autumn season includes saving Venice, ending HIV in America, computers v. Crime, Can Psychedelics Cure? Ocean Invaders, Nazca Desert Mystery, Crypto Decoded, Zero to Infinity and Rebuilding Notre Dame.
“We choose our films based on different criteria,” says Schmidt. “For example, we have shows that answer a question that is in the zeitgeist, like Crypto Decoded, but we also program more timeless films like Zero to Infinity. But all of them show something about how the scientific process works and how powerful it can be for us to discover and shape the world.
NOVA, the nation’s preeminent public media science documentary series, continues to experiment with its content and process, says co-executive producer Julia Cort.
“NOVA always has science editors to make sure the science is right,” says Cort. “And this year, we’ve added another layer of editorial review to ensure a broader level of accuracy and credibility.”
In creating the new position of science and equity editor, NOVA’s co-executive producers hope to play a role in transforming the science media landscape.
“There’s a really deep complexity around the historical and cultural context of science,” says Cort. “Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum—it affects different people in different ways in different communities.”
With Krystnell Storr on board as the new editor, NOVA is dedicated to diversifying the stories and scientists it features and offering broader perspectives from historically excluded groups most affected by the science NOVA covers.
“This is a position that allows NOVA to look at a story and think about it with a more holistic view,” says Storr. “I’m focused on bringing voices from different communities to the fold, continuing the award-winning work already being produced by the GBH team.”
The move reflects the core of NOVA’s mission.
“Widespread engagement with scientific ideas in any community is essential for a just society,” says Schmidt. “Representation is key to that commitment.”
Science itself can benefit, adds Cort. “We see NOVA as having a role in amplifying the voices of scientists who have historically been underrepresented in communities deeply impacted by science but often excluded from science reporting. Science is stronger and the Society is stronger when there is true representation.
Discover NOVA’s fall schedule here and check out the NOVA YouTube channel here.
