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| Volume 46, Number 2, Fall 1998 |
Members can learn about the latest developments in the science writing profession by attending the annual NASW workshops, held January 20-21 in conjunction with the AAAS annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif.
Sign-up forms for workshops and special events were previously mailed to NASW members. Space is limited and will be reserved in the order in which checks and/or charge requests are received. Don’t be left out. Return your registration form ASAP.
Questions? Comments? Contact NASW workshop organizer Paul Lowenberg, University of Washington News and Information Office, paullow@u.washington.edu. Please check the 1999 Anaheim workshops link at nasw.org for speaker updates and last-minute program changes.
2:00-6:00 pm
From Science to Screen: Movie and TV Writers Discuss the Drama
of Science
Organizers: The Writing Division of the USC School of Cinema-TV;
Paul Lowenberg, University of Washington News Office, and Eric
Mankin, USC News Service
Participants: Screenwriters Bob Gale, Back to the Future trilogy; Dan O’Bannon, Total Recall.
Movies and television wield the power to shape public perceptions of science and scientists. Mad scientists create life in the laboratory or seek to rule the world. Heroic scientists use their knowledge to defeat space aliens or conquer mysterious lethal viruses. But does the cinematic image of scientists help or hurt public attitudes towards real world science and scientists? How do screenwriters work to balance “good science” with the pressures of the movie-TV industry to tell an entertaining story? Spend an afternoon interacting with some top Hollywood screenwriters and Cinema-TV faculty from the University of Southern California who will reveal how they turn science related subjects into successful scripts, and show film clips, in an open and dialogue with you, the audience. Following a screening and discussion of award-winning student films, the screenwriter panelists will discuss their craft and show clips from various movies which involve a science theme.
8:30-10:30 am
Plenary Session
Hold For Release: Embargoed Science, Embattled SystemOrganizers:
Rick Borchelt, Oak Ridge National Lab, and Lynne Friedmann, Friedmann
Communications
Participants: David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle;
Cristine Russell, (correspondent) The Washington Post;
Lee Hotz, The Los Angeles Times; Susan Turner-Lowe, National
Academy of Sciences; Laura Garwin, Nature; Monica Bradford,
Science.
In 1975, an international group of biomedical researchers met in Asilomar, Calif., to discuss the risks associated with the (then) new field of genetic engineering and devise guidelines for research. Because of the sensitivity of the issue, reporters were initially barred from the meeting. Ultimately a compromise was reached and a handful of science journalists attended after having agreed to embargo news stories until the conclusion of the meeting. Twenty-three years later, the embargo continues to impact the practice of science reporting. Meanwhile, a new generation of science journalists and new information-gathering technology have come on the scene. Both are changing the way science is reported. At its 1997 annual board meeting, the NASW board initiated a critical examination of the continuing utility of embargoes on science news. As part of that examination, this workshop will examine the origin of the embargo and its relevance in an age of instant communication.
10:45 am-Noon
What Makes a Successful Public Information Officer? A User’s
View
Organizer: Seema Kumar, The Whitehead Institute
Participants: Richard Saltus; Boston Globe; Others TBA
What characterizes an excellent PIO office? A panel of reporters discusses (without actually rating) what makes for a good pr office, using examples. We’ll poll reporters is advance to get their thoughts. The results from that poll will be used as a starting point for discussions. We’ll look beyond PIO offices with big staffs and budgets, and also focus on smaller institutes and offices that do use creative strategies to be responsive to the media.
1:00-2:15 pm
@&!@*##!…Or Miss Manners’ Guide To Dealing With
Difficult Researchers
Organizer: Seema Kumar, The Whitehead Institute
Participants: Joann Rodgers, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions; Others TBA.
We had to cancel it last year because of President Clinton’s talk. But, because so many of you asked for it…here it is! Tricks, tips, and strategies for dealing with different personality traits of difficult scientists without losing your cool. Also, information on prepping scientists to talk in sound bites, training PIs to let PIOs know about news, and convincing scientists about the benefits of talking to reporters.
2:30-3:45 pm
Is the Paper Release Dead? How To Take Advantage Of the New
Medium
Organizer: David Brand, Cornell University
Participants: TBA
And paper begat the fax and fax begat e-mail and e-mail begat the Web. What is the most effective way of releasing science news today? This workshop will explore e-mail listservs, on-line services such as EurekAlert and Newswise, institutional Web sites, and print-quality, high-resolution images on the Web. There will also be a discussion of the methods of Web-based sound and video, both streaming actual events, or archiving sound and visual “bites.” The session will offer advice on the future of snail mail and fax and the best ways to take advantage of the electronic medium. [At press time, plans were being discussed about having an AAAS Internet Press Briefing from 4-5 pm]
10:45 am-Noon
Making Your Office Work
Organizer: Steve Hart, Freelance
Participants: Freelances Linda Roach Monroe, Joel Shurkin, David Tenenbaum, and Blake Powers; and Rani Lueder, Humanics ErgoSystems, Inc.
Hear the latest ideas on setting up—and maintaining—your home office. From papyrus (well, almost) to laser printers, chairs to computers, in rain and shine: how to make sure your office is part of the solution, not part of the problem. How to use notebooks, word-processor files, filing cabinet, and in-out trays to keep track of everything—on a budget. Making your computer listen: Voice activation and other software that helps deal with repetitive stress. Avoiding disaster when disaster strikes: From plastic to fix a busted window to devices that hook up your computer to your car battery while you upload over your cellular phone by deadline. Is your home office “Ergonized”? How to avoid workplace hazards.
1:00-2:15 pm
Spinning a Specialty
Organizer: Kathryn S. Brown, Freelance
Participants: Deborah Blum, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Jim Kling, freelance; Jane Stevens, freelance multimedia journalist; Keay Davidson, San Francisco Examiner.
Ever wish you could spin one story into a handful of assignments—or even a new specialty? You can. Four freelances explain how they’ve turned a single topic into articles, on-line pieces, or books. Stretch a story. Find new markets. Delve deep into subjects. Tips on how to do it all—without irking your editors.
2:30-3:45 pm
Meet the Editors: The West Coast
Organizer: Aries Keck, AAAS
Participants: David Ansley, OnHealth.com; Others TBA
A top freelance favorite. We’ve all met editors traveling the DC-New York corridor. But who calls San Francisco or Seattle home? Magazines like Health and Web sites like ABCNEWS.com. Come meet the best of the West.
10:45 am-Noon
How To Write About the Hard Stuff
Organizer: Carol Morton, Freelance
Participants: K.C. Cole, The Los Angeles Times; Paul Hoffman, Encyclopedia Britannica; Others TBA
All science writing might be considered difficult material, but within the sciences some subjects truly defy reporting and story-telling efforts. Here’s how some people pull the interesting news and engaging tidbits out of tough subjects, like math, chemistry, and other tough stuff.
10:45 am-Noon
Step-by-Step Through the Multimedia Maze: A Hands-To For Multimedia
Science Journalism
Organizer: Jane Ellen Stevens, multimedia science and technology
journalist
Participants: Karen Watson, Discovery Channel On-line; Charlene Laino, MSNBC.com, Others TBA
1:00-2:15 pm
Doing It Right
Organizer: Laura van Dam, Houghton Mifflin Company
Participants: Jeff Black, OnHealth.com; Joel Greenberg, Los Angeles Times; Others TBA
Whether you’re pressed by the tightest of deadlines or the challenges of taking a literary approach to journalism, this workshop will help you explore how to maintain the highest standards in our profession.
1:00-2:15 pm
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics!
5:15-6:30 pm
Late-Breaking News Session
Organizer: Paul Raeburn, Business Week
Participants: TBA
Discussion of a recently occurring science topic in the news and
how it was or will continue to be covered.
5:15-6:30 pm
Writing a Science Book: Recent Authors Tell How and Why They
Did It
Organizer: Mary Miller
Participants: TBA
5:15-6:30 pm
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Lab: Using Humor in
Writing About Science
Organizer: Karen Hopkin, Freelance
Participants: Marc Abrahams, Annals of Improbable Research; Rosie Mestel, New Scientist; Joe Palca, National Public Radio.
Make your writing more light and lively, add character to your subjects and make dry stories less painful and more entertaining. Event if you’re not Dave Barry, you can write funny on purpose. This workshop on humor in science writing includes tips on interviewing sources to maximize the fun, identifying easy ways to introduce something amusing, and suggesting ways to edit copy to make it lighter or more interesting. Discuss related issues: When is humor appropriate or inappropriate? Are some topics too serious to be made light? Who pressures writers (the scientists or the editors) to make things more serious?