The Northern California Science Writers Association teamed up with the Society of Environmental Journalists to organize a one-day workshop on "Computer-Assisted Reporting and the Internet" September 7, 1996, at Stanford University. The $50 program included advice from "northern California's most computer-savvy reporters,[and] academic experts and... beginning, intermediate and advanced training in a state-of-the-art computer lab."
How should journalists cover advocacy groups that promote allegedly scientific "studies" whose results just happen to grind that particular group's ax? "When Advocacy Groups Do Science" was the title of a no-holds-barred panel and Q & A session presented by the District of Columbia Science Writers Association September 17, at the Freedom Forum, Arlington, VA. DCSWA Board Members Boyce Rensberger and Doug Levy put together a panel consisting of leaders and critics of advocacy science.
A DCSWA program on tips for freelancers took place October 8 at the American Society for Microbiology, featuring two accountants used by, again, Boyce Rensberger, and also fellow Board Member Beryl Benderly to offer financial advice -- and in a second panel, Board Member Mitch Waldrop and Don Hensel of the Newspaper Association of America, a professional ergonomics specialist, offered suggestions on how to set up a home office--especially one that's easy on the back, joints, and carpal tunnels. Assistance was also provided by DCSWA Secretary Barbara Hyde, Jim Sliwa of ASM, and Dave Lewin.
Science Writers in New York (SWINY) on September 19 learned about the latest in forensic science from one of New York City's finest, Detective Raymond M. Pierce of the NYPD. Pierce established the NYPD's Criminal Assessment and Profiling Unit, which to assist investigators with serial crimes and unsolved major case investigations. The session was held at The Rockefeller University. On October 5, SWINY members received an exclusive briefing on such geo-topics as earthquake prediction, ancient climates, and probing the core of the Earth at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House and annual earth-science extravaganza. A November 20 tour was planned for the New York Public Library's new Science, Industry and Business Library.
Area science writers met October 22 at the University of Pennsylvania Laboratory for Research in the Structure of Matter for a tour of the laboratory and a discussion with researchers there on how scientists and journalists can work together to improve the reporting of scientific advances. The session was organized by the university's office of public affairs.
On September 10, members of the New England Science Writers heard Elliot Liebowitz and Julia Greenstein, CEO and chief scientific officer, respectively, of Biotransplant, Inc., describe the company's efforts to induce "specific tolerance" for transplanted organs. On October 16, they were addressed by Mildred Dresselhaus, professor of engineering and physics at MIT, winner of the National Medal of Science, and president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the melodically named Wong Auditorium of the new Tang Center. Dr. Dresselhaus spoke of the growing funding crunch, the fate of young scientists in the pipeline, and major issues facing women in science. (NESW has a new Website, based at UMass/Amherst. URL: www.umass.edu/pubaffs/nesw/)