NASW Fall 2005 Annual Meeting (archived)

NASW Science-in-Society
Introduction | Program and Schedule | Look Who's Coming | Register Here! | Hotel and Travel

CASW New Horizons in Science Briefing
Program and Schedule

NASW Science-in-Society Schedule

Saturday, October 22
Omni William Penn Hotel

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. — Check In, Coffee and Tea, Informal Networking

12:00-1:45 p.m. — Network Lunch

2:00-3:30 p.m. — SESSION I
Click on the session number to read more

  • A1) The NASW Pitch Slam
  • A2) Uses and Misuses of News Releases, or You did WHAT with My Release?
  • A3) Who Speaks for Science?
  • A4) MARK KRAMER: How To Come Back From The Field With A Notebook Full of Narrative

3:30-4:00 p.m. — Afternoon Break

4:00-5:30 p.m. — SESSION II
Click on the session number to read more

  • B1) Strategies For Building Your Freelance Business From Any Location
  • B2) Blogs and RSS
  • B3) Peer Review: A Look Behind the Curtain
  • B4) ROY PETER CLARK: Fifty Writing Tools, From The Sub-Atomic To The Metaphysical

7:00-10:00 p.m. — Book Party for the new and completely revised edition of A Field Guide for Science Writers

Meet the editors and some of the book's 45 contributors. Celebrate with food and cocktails at the renowned Carnegie Music Hall. Bus transportation provided. Thank you to the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing for partial party funding!

Sunday, October 23
Omni William Penn Hotel

7:45 a.m. — Continental Breakfast

8:00-9:00 a.m. — NASW Business Meeting

9:15-10:45 a.m. — SESSION III
Click on the session number to read more

  • C1) Mastering the Art and Business of Science Editing
  • C2) How To Make an Electronic Newsletter Work for You
  • C3) LEE GUTKIND: "The Five R's of Creative Non-Fiction"

12:30 p.m. — Joint CASW/NASW Lunch

Stick around for CASW New Horizons! Find out more here.

Special Opportunity! On Friday, October 21, NASW members are invited for a special session with Readings Coach David Prete. More information.

Program

Attendees are welcome to participate in any workshop, but for those interested in targeted learning, we have designed four tracks:

  • Workshops ending in 1 are part of "Building The Business," a track designed to be of special interest to freelancers.
  • Workshops ending in 2 are part of "Beyond The Mainstream Media," a series designed to be of interest to PIOs and those wishing to explore new ways of delivering science information directly to the public. Workshops ending in 4, as well as C3, are part of the "Science is A Story" track, dealing with non-fiction writing and craft matters through the tutelage of nationally recognized coaches.
  • Sessions A3 and B3 come together in "Speaking for Science," a series exploring issues of authority and credibility in science communication.

Please note: You will NOT be required to choose specific NASW sessions ahead of time.

A1) The NASW Pitch Slam

Learn how editors at top magazines develop story ideas in this interactive panel, where audience members get the chance to stand up and — in 60 seconds or less — pitch their ideas to a distinguished panel of editors. The panel will respond to each idea as they would in a story development meeting, offering anything from specific tips for honing it to (hopefully) an assignment to write it for a magazine. For those who pitch, it's a chance to get noticed by top editors. Meanwhile, all audience members will learn first-hand about the process of idea development, and what each magazine looks for in a pitch.

Organizer and Moderator

Speakers

A2) Uses and Misuses of News Releases, or You did WHAT with My Release?

Is it even possible to abuse a news release? Some PIOs scoff at the idea, whereas others cringe at seeing releases passed off as journalism. In the brave world of web journalism, press releases don't just spawn stories, they sometimes become stories, blurring the line between publicity and news. Is that something a PIO should do something about — or just shrug and move on? Is this responsible? Is it even good PR? A panel of public information officers from a range of sectors and a seasoned journalist from the web world discuss the practices and ethics of releases.

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Moderator

Speakers

A3) Who Speaks for Science?

What is this thing called "scientific authority?" How is it created and employed, who gets to have it and why, and what do journalists need to know about its origins, nature, and uses? This session, featuring a science journalist who deals with this authority, an academic official who participates in maintaining it, and a scholarly researcher who studies it, will address these questions, and more. The aim of this discussion is to help science writers judge who has authority to speak for science, who does not and better understand how their reporting represents, reinforces or questions that authority.

Organizer and Moderator

Speakers

A4) MARK KRAMER: How To Come Back From The Field With A Notebook Full of Narrative

The techniques of narrative can help writers meet the special challenge of science writing. Mark Kramer, as founder of the annual Nieman Foundation narrative journalism conference, is arguably the nation's leading exponent of narrative journalism. Join us for an invigorating session with him as we explore the craft of science writing. To read more click here.

Organizer

Moderator

  • Robin Marantz Henig, Author, Board of Directors, National Association of Science Writers

Speaker

B1) Strategies For Building Your Freelance Business From Any Location

No two freelance businesses are identical. Whether your challenge is finding new markets, building a business from the ground-up, or working from the boondocks, we've got solutions for you. In this workshop, successful freelancers will discuss strategies to develop a steady clientele of editors and publishers, minimize dry spells, and maximize income. Need research? Our outstanding panelists will help you build the support structure staffers enjoy, such as news librarians and paid database subscriptions. Speakers will discuss the many types of work available, such as magazine writing, editing, conference coverage, and communications work — and share their secrets for making a freelance business pay off.

Organizers

  • Jeanne Erdmann, Freelance Journalist
  • Rabiya Tuma, Freelance Journalist

Moderator

  • Jeanne Erdmann, Freelance Journalist

Speakers

B2) Blogs and RSS

First it was email. Then it was websites. Now it's blogs and RSS. Just what is this latest communication technology and what effect is it likely to have on how we do our jobs? This workshop will address blogging's pros and cons from a science communication perspective. A writer, editor and expert on "web logging" joins two veteran science writers who have created their own blogs to describe this new means of communication and discuss its pros and cons. On the one hand, blogs can: provide a fun and informal look at the science; on the other hand, they present major issues of credibility. How can science reporters use blogs wisely to improve their coverage and what are the pitfalls to avoid?

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Speakers

B3) Peer Review: A Look Behind the Curtain

How much should journalists trust peer review? What issues and problems within the peer review system should we keep in mind as we evaluate medical and scientific reports? This workshop will assemble two seasoned science magazine journalists and three scientists to examine the inner workings of the peer review process, and how it sometimes substitutes for skeptical reporting. Panelists from statistics, psychology and epidemiology will share their experiences as journal editors and reviewers and will present recent findings that raise provocative questions about peer review in biomedical research. Time will be reserved to allow journalists on the panel and in the audience to engage the panelists with their questions.

Organizers

Moderator

Confirmed Speakers

B4) ROY PETER CLARK: "Fifty Writing Tools, From The Sub-Atomic To The Metaphysical"

Roy Peter Clark, founding director of the National Writers Workshop, is perhaps the nation's premiere newspaper writing coach. For three decades, he has pioneered the effort to help journalists master the craft of clear, colorful and compelling prose. Clark will help attendees craft a blueprint writing. To read more click here.

Organizer and Moderator

Speaker

C1) Mastering the Art and Business of Science Editing

This may be the National Association of Science Writers, but many of us are also editors. And while there are no Pulitzer Prizes for excellent science editing, it is a critical part of the craft. This session will help editors in general improve their skills, while helping freelance editors polish up their marketing and business practices. Seasoned science editing pros will share their mysterious ways — telltale signs of good or bad writing, time-saving editing strategies, common mistakes even good writers make, etc. Then we'll meet some successful freelancer editors and learn who's hiring and how to make a living as a freelance editor.

Organizer

  • Cori Vanchieri, Freelance Writer and Editor
  • Gail Porter, Editor, NIST Tech Beat, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Moderator

Speakers

C2) How To Make an Electronic Newsletter Work for You

Electronic newsletters abound, and just about everyone has one - your favorite airline, your favorite band, your alma mater. They can be very cost effective means of reaching various audiences, but just "throwing something together" isn't an option when the time is right for you to have one, too. This PIO-focused workshop will use four case studies to illustrate decisions to make when planning or redesigning an electronic newsletter.

Organizer and Moderator

Speakers

C3) LEE GUTKIND: "The Five R's of Creative Nonfiction"

Join Lee Gutkind, founder and editor of the journal, Creative Nonfiction, as he leads attendees in learning how to improve their science writing skills. To read more click here. Extended Workshop!

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Moderator

Speaker

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Next annual meeting | CASW New Horizons briefings

Last revised: March 19, 2006

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Copyright © 2006 The National Association of Science Writers, Inc. All rights reserved.