The Eighth World Conference of Science Journalists opened today in Helsinki with about 850 registrants expected to attend. If you're not among them, you can check in via the Twitter hashtag #wcsj2013 or the conference Twitter feed. Also be sure to check the conference site for webcasts, or see Facebook and the conference program booklet.
World Conference of Science Journalists
If you attend the 8th World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ2013), in Helsinki in June, be prepared, even if not to hug some trees, at least to go into the woods for some scientific — and social — interactions with your lumber-loving hosts. Indeed, a sure conference highlight will be “science at midnight,” a seminar on the development of innovative and renewable wood-based materials for the future, held in the heart of a coniferous boreal forest.
The National Association of Science Writers invites applications for the Laura Van Dam Travel Fellowships to this summer's meeting of the World Conference of Science Journalists in Helsinki, Finland, June 24-28, 2013. Update: We will be notifying applicants by March 12.
By all accounts, WCSJ2011 was an impressive feat, marking the first iteration of the conference hosted by an Arab nation. But behind the scenes, political problems caused extensive debate and several disruptions. The inclusion of U.S.-Israeli journalist Anna Wexler on a panel caused divisions within the Arab Science Journalists Association (ASJA), a co-sponsor of the conference. From the Fall 2011 ScienceWriters.
If you couldn't get to Qatar for WCSJ2011, you can still watch more than a dozen videos of the proceedings on YouTube. Check the WCSJ2011 web site for more reports on various sessions. The ScienceWriters web site has aggregated WCSJ Twitter posts. Columbia Journalism Review has this review. And after the jump, see ScienceWriters magazine editor Lynne Friedmann's photos.
As WCSJ2011 wraps up, it's time to check the coverage. Google News has a wide selection from news organizations around the world, including Qatar's The Peninsula and Gulf Times. The blogosphere has been active too, with posts from many WCSJ panelists. Charlie Petit at the Knight Science Journalism Tracker has a roundup. Also: WCSJ Twitter feed.
WCSJ2011 begins today in Doha, and we're collecting relevant Twitter posts here. The program starts with pre-conference workshops, followed by three days of panels. Besides Twitter, you can follow the proceedings on the conference RSS feed, and on Facebook. Many NASW members will also tweet from the conference; see our front-page box.
Registration is now open for the 2011 World Conference of Science Writers in Doha, Qatar, June 26-30. The event includes multimedia workshops, dozens of sessions on hot topics in science writing, and field trips to explore science and the environment in the Arab world. NASW is content partner for the WCSJ, in collaboration with the Arab Science Journalists Association and the World Federation of Science Journalists. Early bird registration ends April 11.
Seven recipients of the 2011 Laura Van Dam Fellowships for travel to the World Conference of Science Journalists in June have been selected.
Organizers of the World Conference of Science Journalists 2011 said the meeting will be held as scheduled June 27-29 but in Doha, Qatar, rather than Cairo. "There were too many uncertainties, unfortunately, and we felt our priority needed to be providing a stable and safe environment to hold a successful conference." Read the announcement here.