Volume 46, Number 1, Spring/Summer 1998

NASW Workshops At Anaheim AAAS Next January

by Carol Morton

Grab your shades and pack your sunscreen. Science writers go Hollywood this year at the NASW workshops January 20-21, held in Anaheim in advance of the American Association of Advancement of Science annual meeting.

Opening the schedule on Wednesday at the new Discovery Center in Santa Ana, movie and television writers will discuss science on the big screen. Organizers Paul Lowenberg and Eric Mankin have arranged an interactive afternoon 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 other insider tips. A reception follows.

Thursday's opening plenary session at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel examines the embargo system of science news. Organizers Rick Borchelt and Lynne Friedmann have gathered key news professionals to examine origin of the embargo and its relevance in an age of instant communication.

Following the embargo discussion, three simultaneous tracks of workshops will run for the rest of the day, featuring sessions tailored for freelancers, public information officers and journalists.

In the PIO track organized by Seema Kumar, workshops will include reporters discussing the characteristics of a great public information office, big and small; dealing with difficult researchers (canceled last year because of scheduling conflicts with President Clinton's talk); and a hands-on workshop updating PIOs on the best electronic practices and troubleshooting common problems.

Organized by Steve Hart and Kathryn Brown, the freelance track features sessions on setting up and maintaining your home office, making more money by reselling your work, and meeting top West Coast editors from LA to Seattle.
The journalists' sessions organized by Carol Cruzan Morton will include tips on writing about the really hard subjects (like math), making humor work in science writing, innovative new ways to find and report stories, and words of wisdom about taking on the big one, a book.

More details will be posted on the NASW web site. Ideas and volunteers are still being accepted by workshop organizer Paul Lowenberg, (206) 543-2580, paullow@u.washington.edu.