Science Journalism Goes Global - Science Editorial

As a lead up to the World Conference of Science Journalists, Science have dedicated an editorial to the issue of global science journalism. /ScienceEditorialFinal.pdf Author of the editorial, Cris Russell, senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and President of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, has produced two sessions for the WCSJ2009, 'Science Journalism in Crisis' Tue PM and 'Climate Change Coverage: the messy marriage of science, policy and politics' Thu PM. Cris's editorial reflects on the 'great opportunities and great peril' for science journalism at a time when global science-based stories, such as swine flu, are more prevalent than ever. Hear more from Cris at the WCSJ next week.

New Parallel Sessions Swine Flu, Defending the UK Science Media and Breakonomics

Three new sessions are now up on the programme timetable. On Wednesday AM the UK's Science Minister Lord Drayson will defend the UK science media against claims from Professor John Martin, one of the world's leading heart disease experts, that science journalists are like the greedy bankers who have sparked the economic meltdown. Wednesday PM sees a new session on the media's coverage of Swine Flu, was this another senseless scare story? Scientists and journalists at the heart of the story will argue it out. On Thursday Breakonomics asks the question would specialist science correspondents with their 'superior grasp' of probabilities, risk and mathematical modelling have covered the global financial crisis differently? Could a different kind of reporting really have saved the economy? See the full timetable for more www.wcsj2009.0rg/programme_timetable.php.

Stories that Matter to a Changing World - article from ABSW Science Reporter

An edited version of this article was first published in The Science Reporter - the online newsletter for ABSW members

WCSJ2009 – Stories that matter to a changing world

Someone once said that in journalism you are only as good as your last article. Sit back on your laurels in the face of financial constraints and fierce competition for column inches and air time and you may find you no longer have a seat. Ignore the technological changes impacting on journalism and you may find yourself outwitted by a new generation of reporters. If you want to find out where science journalism is going and be part of those shaping its future then read on.

An overview
From 29th June – 3 July 2009, upward of 600 science journalists will arrive at Westminster Central Hall, in the heart of London for a week of workshops, debates, briefings, trips and networking/social events. Programme Director Fiona Fox of the Science Media Centre hopes that debate will be the main focus of the Conference. “Our intention is to really hone in on issues that are key to journalism, and in particular science journalism, rather than just become yet another conference on science. We want to see people disagreeing, we want to see difficult questions asked and we want to help journalists shape their future. We all have something to learn, we can all become more professional and expert in our roles and this is no different for science journalists. We want journalists to go away with new contacts, new ideas, new skills and new enthusiasm for their vital job. “

The WCSJ2009 is not a Conference about science, it is not a place for journalists to report on science, it is a Conference where journalists take an active role in the debate. As Pallab Ghosh, President of the World Federation of Science Journalists says, ‘The WCSJ is not really about news it is about improving standards of science journalism. It is about science journalists organising our own international event on issues we think are interesting and important to our profession, such as how we should cover climate change and how we take advantage of the opportunities provided by new media. But most of all it’s for reporters and producers from across the world to get together and develop the culture of critical, hard-hitting journalism. Once upon a time our job was to translate and enthuse about science. Now it’s to provide mature, independent analysis of scientific developments that will shape the future destiny of communities across the world.’

The programme
The main programme for the conference is now online at www.wcsj2009.org, including session summaries and speakers. More will follow over the coming weeks; lunch and breakfast briefings, satellite events, receptions and drop in workshops. Highlights include a plenary session of editors reflecting on the position of science reporting within media outlets. James Harding, the Editor of the Times, and Ian Katz, Deputy Editor of the Guardian, will join other key players in the media to reflect on the status of science in the print media. No journalism conference could take place in the 21st Century without some discussion of the overwhelming influence of the internet and broadband. The WCSJ New Media plenary invites experts such as Krishna Bharat, founder of Google News and Ben Hammersley, Associate Editor of the new UK edition of Wired magazine to consider where news reporting might be in 20 years time all under the watchful eye of the BBC’s Nick Higham in the chair. For those who want a more hands on approach workshops on new media techniques are being held as part of a series of skills building workshops at the start of the Conference. The Knight Science Journalism Fellowships Programme of MIT and Harvard bring their expertise to London, for those who are only taking their first steps into these forms of reporting. Drop in workshops on podcasting and other new techniques are also planned.

The heavyweights of environmental policy Sir David King Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, and Professor Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are on board for a plenary session that will set out a route map for reporting in the run up to the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Copenhagen, this December. A Conference widely believed to be our final chance to find global agreement on tackling climate change. For Government’s around the world to come to an agreement on climate change scientific advice is vital. A further plenary at WCSJ2009 brings together a panel of Government Scientific Advisers, including the UK and Ireland Advisers, Professor John Beddington and Professor Patrick Cunningham.

Finally Colin Blakemore, professor of Neuroscience, will chair a plenary on what philanthropy means for the future of science and humanity featuring Fred Kavli, Founder and Chairman of the Kavli Foundation and Mike Lazaridis President and CEO of Research in Motion.


Debating face to face not on ABSW-L
What of the issues that have raged on the ABSW discussion list over the past year? Embargoes in science reporting: Friend or foe? Features Richard Horton Editor-in-Chief of the Lancet and Geoff Watts of the BBC. Lack of scrutiny of press releases leading to inaccurate, ‘lazy’ reporting, Nick Davis who coined the phrase ‘churnalism’, in his book Flat Earth News, will be in conversation with Fiona Fox. In need of more contacts for freelancing? Meet the Editors, does exactly what it says on the tin with editors telling you how and what to pitch. What is all this Twittering and RSS feeding – new media is covered in both plenary, parallel sessions and workshops. Are the actions of CNN indicative of a wider problem in science reporting? Miles O’Brien formerly of the culled CNN science and environment unit will speak in a session that asks is science journalism in crisis? What ever happened to the ABSW awards? They are back in a short and sweet format with awards for life time achievement and best newcomer being made at the WCSJ2009 Gala Reception, and this just might be a stepping stone to the return of the full awards – watch this space.

Wot, no science reporting?
All sounds good but you still have a day job? Although the primary aim of the Conference is to allow journalists to step back from reporting clearly science coverage can’t come to halt. A fully functional media room will allow you to file from the conference, breakfast and lunch briefings and press conferences will also provide stories on a plate – others you may need to seek out - perhaps egged on by a session entitled ‘Investigative science reporting: Does it exist?’


The small print
You will have to pay, something I know that journalists are not used to doing. No offence meant, I have never known a journalist not stand you a drink, but generally conferences are free as the organisers want you there to provide coverage for them. We don’t, we want you there to ensure lively, informed debate, fly the flag for UK science reporting and play host to the international science media coming to London. The full fee structure including day rates is at www.wcsj2009.org but in summary, ABSW full members get the cheapest rate of any category at £225 plus VAT for the entire conference, including workshops, trips, receptions, breakfasts, lunches and more. For ABSW associate members the rate is £335 plus VAT.

Speakers are still being confirmed and there may be some surprises yet. To keep right up to date visit the WCSJ2009 blog (www.wcsj2009.org) or sign up to our Twitter feed
(http://twitter.com/srPR )

See you in Westminster if not before.

Sallie Robins – Co-Director WCSJ2009
sallie.robins@wcsj2009.org
07733 330344

Science Journalism in Crisis? Article from the Euroscientist

This article was first published in the April issue of The Euroscientist - the Euroscience Newsletter http://bit.ly/LAqVj

In December last year CNN axed its entire science and environment unit. This action sparked protest from a range of organisations including The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ). Is the action at CNN indicative of a wider crisis in science journalism? Last month (February 2009) a press briefing posed this question to the science press pack, gathered in Chicago for the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The briefing, organised by the World Conference of Science Journalists (that will take place in London this summer), gave a platform to science journalists who have been monitoring the health of science journalism in their region. Cristine Russell, President of the USA Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, kicked off the briefing with some sobering figures on science journalism in the States.

Membership of the USA science journalism association, the National Association of Science Writers (NASW), stands at over 2000 but of these only 79 are now full time staff science writers for newspapers. The decreasing number of staff science writers is no doubt linked to cutbacks in the number of science sections in USA papers, which have decreased by more than half from 95 in 1989 to 34 in 2005. Russell gave the Boston Globe as an example of this process in action: “First the health and science section moved inside the news section, then in January 2008 it went from 3 to 2 pages and by March it had been cut altogether. Health is now covered in the lifestyle section and science and technology in the business section with an emphasis on technology.” The moves at the Globe reflect recent moves in the UK at the national daily newspaper The Times. Body & Soul - the health and science supplement - moved into a new Weekend Section, earlier this year. It remains to be seen if it will continue to follow the path taken at the Boston Globe. Russell was keen to point out that science journalists are not being singled out for cutbacks and that it is just a reflection of wider problems in the newspaper business in the USA. To try to end on a more upbeat note Russell suggested that on-line opportunities were increasing. New models are also being used with the New York Times combining the expertise of science writers and other specialists to report on issues such as
climate change.

The downward trend reported by Russell was not reflected by Nadia El-Awady who had gathered data on science reporting in the Arab World and Africa. Seemingly in these regions the appetite for science stories is increasing. El-Awady’s informal survey of 35 journalists found that specialised science sections were still valued and that science staff writers provided the majority of coverage as opposed to freelancers. In direct contrast to the situation in the USA, outlets surveyed were employing more science writers and using fewer freelancers. Despite this the freelance science journalists surveyed also reported an increase in opportunities for freelance science contributions. The amount of space allocated to science coverage was increasing in 14 of 20 media outlets employing the fulltime journalists surveyed. These increases were suggested amongst other reasons to be down to the media outlet becoming more specialised in all aspects of reporting.

El-Awady’s stats were backed up by the experience of Akin Jimoh of Nigeria. “In Africa national science journalism associations are being set up throughout the region”. Valeria Roman of Argentina was also upbeat on science journalism in Latin America.

Reflecting on her survey in a blog post for the WFSJ, El-Awady suggests that there may just be a time lag between the Arab World, Africa and Latin America and the USA, and questions what might be done to prevent a future down turn in science coverage in these regions. “It might be the fault of journalists themselves who are hyper-specialising – covering small and specialised parts of science rather than science as a whole. Are hyper-specialised science journalists writing more about the science stories that interest them rather than the science stories that interest the general public?” El-Awady was being deliberately provocative in her blog post as this subject needs further debate, a debate that will continue at the World Conference of Science Journalists later this year in London.

From 29th June – 3 July 2009, upward of 600 science journalists will arrive in the heart of London at Westminster Central Hall for a week of workshops, debates, trips and networking/social events. Programme Director Fiona Fox of the UK’s Science Media Centre hopes that debate will be the main focus of the Conference. “Our intention is to really hone in on issues that are key to journalism, and in particular science journalism, rather than just become yet another conference on science. We want to see people disagreeing, we want to see difficult questions asked and we want to help journalists shape their future. We all have something to learn, we can all become more professional and expert in our roles and this is no different for science journalists. We want journalists to go away with new contacts, new ideas, new skills and new enthusiasm for their vital job.”

Highlights of the WCSJ2009 include a plenary session of editors reflecting on the position of science reporting within media outlets. James Harding, the Editor of the UK’s Times Newspaper, and Ian Katz, Deputy Editor of the UK’s Guardian Newspaper, will join other key players in the media to reflect on the status of science in the print media. No journalism conference could take place in the 21st Century without some discussion of the overwhelming influence of the internet and broadband. The WCSJ New Media Plenary invites experts such as Krishna Bharat, founder of Google News and Ben Hammersley, Associate Editor of the new UK edition of Wired magazine to consider where news reporting might be in 20 years time. For those who want a more hands on approach workshops on new media techniques are being held as part of a series of skills building workshops at the start of the Conference. The Knight Science Journalism Fellowships Programme of MIT and Harvard bring their expertise to London, for those who are only taking their first steps into these forms of reporting.

The heavyweights of environmental policy, Sir David King Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, and Professor Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are on board for a plenary session that will set out a route map for reporting in the run up to the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Copenhagen, this December. This Conference is widely believed to be our final chance to find global agreement on tackling climate change. For Governments around the world to come to an agreement on climate change scientific advice is vital. A further plenary at WCSJ2009 brings together a panel of Government Scientific Advisers, including the UK and Ireland Advisers, Professor John Beddington and Professor Patrick Cunningham.

Apart from plenary and parallel sessions, skills building workshops and science briefings, the WCSJ2009 also provides plenty of opportunities for networking at receptions and informal gatherings. Pitch slams with editors and with commissioning editors of book publishers are planned alongside lunch and breakfast briefings on a host of hot topics. Finally the WCSJ enables journalists to get to the heart of UK scientific research with a series of free trips and visits to top research institutions. For those who wish to go further afield then Delft University in the Netherlands invites delegates to their Kavli Institute of Nanoscience and Water Research Centre.

Registration for the Conference is now open at www.wcsj2009.org, with significantly discounted rates for journalists.

So is Science Journalism in Crisis? From initial discussions it would seem both yes and no, but undoubtedly science journalists should gather together to consider their role and their future so they can continue to report on stories that matter in our changing world.

World Conference of Science Journalists 2009
Central Hall, Westminster, London
30 June - 2 July 2009
www.wcsj2009.org
Sallie Robins
Co-Director, World Conference of Science Journalists 2009

Euroscience Journalism Awards - closing date 30 June 2009

Euroscience is pleased to announce that its existing journalism awards will, from 2009, be expanded to include awards for popular television and research media relations. Original sponsors, Euroscience Stiftung have been joined by Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, Europe, and the AlphaGalileo Foundation to provide an opportunity for everyone involved in securing more and better media coverage for European research to showcase their work. The journalistic awards have the support of the European Union of Science Journalists Associations.

The awards will be presented annually; in the autumn of 2009 in Hannover and in July 2010 at the Euroscience Open Forum Torino.

The awards are:

· The Euroscience Stiftung Young Journalists Award

· The Euroscience Stiftung Lifetime Journalism Award

· The Johnson and Johnson Award for R&D/Science TV journalism
Award

· The AlphaGalileo Award for Research Public Relations Award

The closing date for the competitive awards – television and public relations – is 30 June 2009.

The judging panels will be:

Young Journalists and Lifetime Journalism

These awards will be made by the Board of Euroscience Stiftung with advice from EUSJA

Popular R&D/Science TV journalism

Derek Nelson, AlphaGalileo Foundation, ex-BBC producer and former ESA media consultant

Carl Johan Sundberg, Euroscience and Karolinska Institutet

Philippe Bijvoet, VRT – The Flemish Radio- and Television Network

Frederik Wittock, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Europe

Barbara Gallavotti, Italian TV journalist

Media relations

Antonio Marín Ruiz, GDESCO, Spain

Tom MIller, Imperial College

Andreas Archut, Press Office, University of Bonn

Peter Green, AlphaGalileo Foundation

Tina Zethraeus, Vetenskapsrådet


Applications for the TV and media relations awards must be made via the web site http://www.eurosciencemediaawards.org/

Awards will be worth €5,000 each apart from the Young Journalist category where the sponsors reserve the right to award one award of €5,000 or two awards of €2,500.

Additional sponsors of new or existing awards will be welcome in future years.

Further information at http://eurosciencemediaawards.org/

Source: ABSW discussion list

Nature Reports on State of Science Journalism

A news feature published in Nature and available online http://tiny.cc/GwO2V reports on a survey of 493 Science Journalists. The survey shows that jobs are being lost and the workloads of those who remain are on the rise. At the same time, researcher-run blogs and websites are growing in both number and readership. The article asks many influential science writers and bloggers, such as WCSJ2009 speakers Fiona Fox, Deborah Blum and Robert Lee Hotz what the future holds and whether blogs can replace more traditional ways of reporting science.



How blogs are changing the way science news develops, and is reported will be debated at the WCSJ2009 in a session 'Blogs, Big Physics and Breaking News'. During the session the commissioning of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN will be used as a case study, who will be the first with news of the fabled Higgs Boson, and how will we know if they're right?



A further session at the Conference will ask the question: Is science journalism in crisis? The session will reflect on the Nature survey and other surveys to establish the world wide picture and see what can be done by Science Journalists themselves and by bodies such as the ABSW to ensure a healthy future for science journalism.

Why Should You Attend the WCSJ2009? Conference Co-Director Julie Clayton interviewed by WFSJ

Still haven't registered for the World Conference of Science Journalists 2009? Co-director Julie Clayton tells the Science Journalism blog of the World Federation of Science Journalists why you should join her and many other science journalists this summer in London. See the video footage of her interview at http://www.wfsj.org/blogs/wfsj/post.php?id=78

Best Cancer Reporter Award - Major Conference Sponsor, European School of Oncology calls for nominations

European School of Oncology

Best Cancer Reporter Award - Awarding Excellence in Cancer Journalism

Call for nominations

For the fourth year running ESO is awarding a prize to promote excellence in cancer journalism.

There will be a top prize of €10,000 and two runners up prizes of €5,000. All winning articles will be published in ESO's Cancer World magazine.

Would you like to nominate a journalist who deserves to be recognised for writing outstanding stories about cancer?

Do you think that you should be rewarded for your clear and accurate reporting on cancer?

Materials published in a newspaper, magazine or on a website between 27 April 2008 and 27 April 2009 will be accepted. The closing date for nominations is 27 April 2009.

To download the nomination form please visit
www.cancerworld.org/mediaservice
or call Gabriele Maggini
+41 91 811 94 07

European School of Oncology & Cancer Media Service

On Thu 2 July at WCSJ2009 a session entitled: Reporting Cancer Breakthroughs: Striking the right note will consider the issue of reporting on cancer plus the winner of the award will be announced.

The European School of Oncology is a major supporter of the World Conference of Science Journalists 2009.

Changes in Science Journalism? An interview with President of the World Federation of Science Journalists, Pallab Ghosh

This article is reproduced from Science Newspaper see
http://www.sciencenewspaper.eu/open-articles/2009-03/wcsj.aspx.

Author: Catalin Mosoia, Bucharest, Romania
Published: 14 March 2009

The beginning of summer coincides with the sixth World Conference of Science Journalists, hosted in London, at Central Hall, Westminster from June 30 to July 2nd. We spoke to Pallab Ghosh, President of the World Federation of Science Journalists and BBC Science Correspondent about this biannual global event. We discussed what news will be brought to your attention, why should science journalists attend, what are the expectations, and last but not least, the effect of the financial crisis in the area of science writing.

What is the news that sixth WCSJ will bring into attention?
Pallab Ghosh: “The WCSJ is not really about news it is about improving standards of science journalism. It is about science journalists organising our own international event on issues we think are interesting and important to our profession, such as how we should cover climate change and how we take advantage of the opportunities provided by new media. But most of all its for reporters and producers from across the world to get together and develop the culture of critical, hard-hitting journalism. Once upon a time, our job was to translate and enthuse about science. Now it’s to provide mature, independent analysis of scientific developments that will shape the future destiny of communities across the world.”

Why science journalists should participate at the conference?
Pallab Ghosh: “We can all get better at what we do, there is never a stage in your career where you can sit back and rest on your laurels, particularly in journalism. We can all become more professional, we can all learn new skills, particularly with the way we report changing so rapidly due to new digital technologies and we can all learn from others regardless of the stage of their career. As journalists we are pretty poor at taking stock of what we do as we are usually too busy doing it! The world Conference provides the opportunity to do this whether you come for one day – or as we hope – for the whole Conference."

What are you expecting from the conference?
Pallab Ghosh: “A gathering of scientific journalists from all corners of the world, with each and every one leaving with new skills, new enthusiasm, new contacts and plenty of stories. A strengthening of the international community of science journalists and ultimately a clear improvement in science coverage, in all parts of the world. Oh and not forgetting some memorable parties!”

Is science journalism in danger due to the financial crisis?
Pallab Ghosh: “Yes, and this is backed up by information being gathered in the USA and Europe. I wouldn’t say that science journalists are being singled out, but we are an easy target for editors and publishers having to manage squeezed budgets. They can incorrectly see Science Journalists as luxury items. Our job is to show that we are absolute necessities – particularly as so many important international policy issues, such as climate change and stem cell research depend not just on an understanding of the science – but require reporters that have the confidence to challenge and scrutinize claims made by individual scientists and institutions which can often have their own agenda.”


What is the relation between science journalism and science communication?
Pallab Ghosh: «A neat comparison of the two disciplines was made by a British Newspaper proprietor, Lord Beaverbrook who once famously said that “news was something that someone somewhere wanted to suppress, everything else is advertising”. Advertising and enthusing about science is important. But the process of independently and expertly challenging what vested interests have to say on scientific issues, be they scientists or supposedly ‘anti-science’ campaign groups, is in my view more important. It also makes for better copy.”

What is the portrait of a science journalist? Should he/she be journalist first or have to have a science background?
Pallab Ghosh: “No. Some of the best science journalists have no background in science, such as Mark Henderson of the UK daily newspaper The Times, while some of the most fawning toward the scientific community have PhDs in science. Being a science correspondent used to be like being a sports correspondent – who in the main enthuse and promote. I’d like us now to try and be more like foreign correspondents – who have an empathy and often love for the country they are covering, but are able to provide critical, challenging, prize winning coverage when appropriate.”

For more info about the sixth World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ 2009) please visit the website of the conference www.wcsj2009.org. Details about the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) are available on the website www.wfsj.org.

From Print to Web - Nigel Hey comments on moves in science journalism

Just returned from the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Chicago to my burrow in New Mexico. Amid all the papers and press conferences came some insights into the fast-moving evolution of science journalism, from print to Web.

I thought it significant that science writer Peter Spotts is moving with the rest of the Boston-based Christian Science Monitor staff when it goes all-electronic next month. Although I was brought up in print journalism and retain a strong bias for it, I also think this is an encouraging move. Like others, this newspaper is in difficult times and has to make a move, but happily it is not getting rid of its leading science writer!

Elsewhere, other good American science reporters are meeting the print-to-electronic transition by pulling up their roots and taking new jobs. For example, Tom Siegfried and Alex Witze eventually fell on their feet after the Dallas Morning News science page was axed, ending up with Science News (editor) and Nature/Washington, respectively. Many have become freelancers, some blogging, some stringing for their previous employers. Others are in entrepreneurial new ventures – Mike Lemonick with Climate Central, Colin McIlwain with ResearchResearch, Wayt Gibbs with the Quantum technical venture capitalist firm in Seattle.

There's another side of the picture--the loss of a great deal of the reporting expertise that has been a trademark of US science journalism. Some of this expertise is being replaced by non-specialist writers participating in the Web-based “democratisation” of news/info coverage and accessibility. In some ways this is analogous to the widespread migration of US sci/tech reportage to the domain of "general assignment" writers. But on the Web we are seeing widespread dissemination of quickly-produced, insufficiently researched articles, to an enormous audience that amounts to the world of interested and socially/politically active people. How much of this huge, blogospheric, consensual compression of information amounts to “serious”, balanced input? Some does come from genuine science-writer bloggers. But when you're Googling you may pick up a hit on your subject de jour from the New York Times science section, or you may get one or more from a muddled flat-earther. You need to have the judgement to know which to believe, and where to find trustworthy third-party points of view on your subject, and that's why we have specialist science and technology writers.

One helpful measure – and this too came up at AAAS -- would be to have more scientists mentoring general assignment reporters and contributing to/producing science-related blogs of their own. Someone ventured to reword an old phrase into “I think therefore I blog," suggesting this as a slogan for public-minded techies. Why not? Media relations professionals can and should help with this, responsibly, and in collaboration with scientists from their institutions.

The movement to Web-based media is a fact and it will increase. On PBS last week, an expert interviewee rudely but perhaps correctly proclaimed that “print journalism is toast.” The big question is, how effectively will the community of science journalists (as well as principled PR people and the science community itself) blend/segué/evolve into the world of electronic media? Hopefully this is being accomplished in a way that complements the idea that journalism should assist the creation and maintenance of informed public opinion. By this I mean the old US Society of Professional Journalists' fourth-estate idea “that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.” Which matches nicely with wording in the World Federation of Science Journalists' mission statement (in sentiments similar to those of the US National Association of Science Writers), "to further science journalism as a bridge between science, scientists and the public. It promotes the role of science journalists as key players in civil society and democracy. . ."

These ideals deserve support from the journalistic community. I believe the public needs them too, on paper and on the Web.

Nigel Hey is a veteran of journalism and science-orientated PR in the USA and UK

Nick Davies, speaks out on media cutbacks

A report in the UK's MediaGuardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/26/nuj-day-of-action-newspaper-job-cuts, highlights Nick Davies views on current media cutbacks. Davies will speak at the WCSJ2009 (Tuesday 30th June, 3:30pm).

The Guardian piece reports Davies as saying it is a big lie that cutting staff and editorial resources is possible without damaging the quality of news produced. Davies was speaking at an National Union of Journalists (NUJ) summit that resulted in the NUJ calling for a day of action over recent newspaper job cuts.

Programmers for the WCSJ are currently in discussion with former CNN science journalists, to see how their experience of falling under the ax might contribute to the London Conference.