David Perlman is retiring from journalism. He's been a science writer through it all: The discovery of Lucy, Dolly the Sheep, the identification of exoplanets, the AIDS epidemic. He has a clip of his first story about AIDS on his office wall. It's maybe 12 or 15 inches long and was published in June 1981, around the start of the global scourge.
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People with low health literacy are more likely to be hospitalized, have chronic illnesses, and not seek treatment than those who better understand and use health information obtained from health care providers and the media. Health literacy is a relatively new and still evolving focus of scientific study, according to NASW member Robert A. Logan and Elliot R. Siegel, editors of Health Literacy: New Directions in Research, Theory and Practice. Topics of likely interest to NASW members addressed in the book include how people receive health information, use of social media as a tool for health promotion, and communication skills of health professionals.
We're pleased to announce the brand new NASW Excellence in Institutional Writing Award. The award will honor quality, clarity, and effectiveness in institutional science writing produced by staff or freelance writers and carries a cash prize of $2,000.
Dec. 20, 2017The tax code authorizes immediate relief for individuals whose homes, household goods, and other properties suffer damage or are destroyed by natural disasters. Unfortunately, in many cases allowable write-offs turn out to be smaller than anticipated. Furthermore, individuals with high incomes and low losses will find they cannot claim any disaster-related deductions.
The NASW board sent a letter to a publisher today, Dec. 13. 2017 to weigh in on an example of nonpayment affecting many of our members. Logged-in members may us the "read more" link to view the letter. The NASW Freelance Committee is currently working to find solutions to this problem frequently faced by our freelance members. If you'd like to help in that effort, please email freecom@nasw.org.
Dec. 13, 2017Student science writers from around the world have created a set of 52 stories from the World Conference of Science Journalists 2017, spanning most of the meeting's sessions and creating a valuable reference archive for journalists in the U.S. and abroad.
Dec. 12, 2017Allegations of sexual harassment or assault by powerful men generate daily news headlines. In Advance Copy, Mark Pendergrast discusses how he jumps into the fray with his newest book, The Most Hated Man in America: Jerry Sandusky and the Rush to Judgment. Pendergrast asks: Did false memories, uncritical reporting, and the lure of potential large financial settlements contribute to Sandusky’s conviction as a serial child molester? “Weigh the evidence,” Pendergrast urges. “Then form your own conclusions.”
In January, an invitation to speak at a public-health workshop in Ethiopia arrived in Emily Caldwell's email inbox. The presentation topic was vaguely described as "health communication." Caldwell was thrilled to accept.
The NASW Grants Committee is now accepting applications for 2017-2018 Peggy Girshman Idea Grants for projects from $1,000 to $25,000. Applications are due on December 15, 2017. Read more for application instructions and helpful hints.