Desk Notes Newsletter, October 21, 2021
Inside the October 2021 edition: ScienceWriters2021 conference coverage, #SciWriAwards winners, meet a new member, & more.
Featured news
Brendan Borrell—The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine
“Researchers who run human clinical trials often say that mice lie and monkeys exaggerate, but everyone watching the progress of the Moderna vaccine was eager to hear the reports from the animal world,” Brendan Borrell relates. He interviewed 150 sources for his gripping in-the-moment narrative, The First Shots: the Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine.
Meet new member Sayali Avachat
Sayali Avachat, an astronomer who currently working as an independent contractor for science and content/curriculum writing, shares #WhySciWri in this short Q&A.
Probing patient stories–and unsettled science–without breaking trust
In the #SciWri21 session “Probing patient stories–and unsettled science–without breaking trust,” three journalists weighed in on how they approach the ambiguity of lived patient experiences, their relationships with sources, and the delicate process of stitching these elements together in a story.
Science journalism meets social justice: Reporting in a time of racial reckoning
Linda Villarosa's Pulitzer-Prize winning New York Times Magazine article was the highlight of the ScienceWriters2021 session "Science Journalism Meets Social Justice."
The changing landscape of science filmmaking
In the ScienceWriters2021 session “Innovative Uses of Film in Science Communication” panelists discussed how they navigate the rapidly changing landscape of science filmmaking.
How to cover science responsibly across borders
In the ScienceWriters2021 conference plenary session on “Covering Science Responsibly Across Borders”, editors and writers from around the world discussed how to ethically report on science.
SciWri21 highlight: “So you want to write a book”
The step from writing science articles to a science book Is more like a giant leap. “Writing a book can be sort of mystical especially if you don’t know anyone who has written a book” said science writer Rebecca Boyle during the “So you want to write a book” session of ScienceWriters 2021.
Product and design thinking: These two techniques can help your science writing business
Are you struggling to please your writing clients and failing to get repeat business? If so, product and design thinking may help your business boom.