✍️Science Writing News Roundup #143
Bethany Brookshire - Don’t Dumb it Down, and Other Science Writing Tips and Tricks
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📣Resources
Projected Futures hosts science journalism virtual workshop series. What skills are essential for science reporting in the age of digital media, science skepticism and disinformation?
Multiple ‘superbug’ threats in the U.S.: What to know. While the threat from the COVID-19 virus is fading in 2023, another pathogen is taking its place — microbes resistant to most if not all antibiotics and antifungals.
3 tips to avoid spreading misinformation about trans people, mental illness and mass shootings.
How Publications Can Support Writers and Sources Experiencing Digital Harassment. Lily Hay Newman examines how editors and publications can support reporters — and their sources — who are targeted by harassment and abuse.
Once considered an international issue, climate change needs reporters digging in at home. For its second webinar series, Poynter’s Beat Academy aims to help local journalists tackle climate change.
Poynter and Meta partner to provide Fact-Checking Fundamentals for Asia-Pacific journalists. The self-paced fact-checking course is available in 15 languages, including Korean, Pashto, Urdu and more.
📌Articles
Opinion | How AI-generated content could both fuel disinformation and improve fact-checking. The list of concerns is long, but tools like ChatGPT could also help to improve automated fact-checking.
Opinion | Health misinformation: The pandemic we can’t wish away. Even beyond COVID-19, falsehoods and misleading health information flourish online.
Climate journalism can improve audience engagement and business models. In times of crisis, public interest journalism is sought-after and highly valuable. And make no mistake, the climate is a crisis, says a new EBU report.
📹Videos and podcasts
Bethany Brookshire - Don’t Dumb it Down, and Other Science Writing Tips and Tricks (you can also watch the video here). Bethany Brookshire, science journalist and author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains, made the transition from scientist to science writer. Along the way, she learned how many assumptions non-scientists make about scientific writing…and how many assumptions scientists make about non-scientific readers. The world of science writing is, in its way, just as much of a specialty as genomics, and Brookshire is here to pull back the curtain on it all.
Rethinking the Interview In an Unequal World, Do We Need New Rules? A Kavli Conversation with Tara Haelle and Naseem Miller, moderated by Robin Lloyd.
Mattia Peretti, outgoing manager of JournalismAI, on responsible use of AI.
Brian Lenahan & Kenna Hughes-Castleberry Discuss Their Book ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’
☀️Opportunities
The Sharon Dunwoody Science Journalism Mentoring Program is a free, nine-month mentoring program aimed at increasing the diversity of voices covering science and supporting journalists who are from underrepresented communities or who have experienced higher than average barriers to entry to the field. The Open Notebook is looking for mentors for the program and is soliciting applications through April 7. Mentors will be paid for their participation.
Calls for pitches to write about molecular biology, AI, medicine, technology, science, environment, and more + Awards, grants, and fellowships for writers👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
✏️Events
Solutions Journalism 101 Webinar (April 11, 2023)
More events 👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
🖼️News
Establishing the boundaries of ethics in science journalism in Latin America. The results of a survey mapping the views of science journalists on science journalism in Latin America and the Caribbean were released during the 12th World Conference of Science Journalists in Medellín, Colombia.
Fellowships, Books, and … a Musical? KSJ Alumni Make Their Mark. A recurring roundup of news about former KSJ Fellows, featuring Federico Kukso’s compendium of what the fellows have been writing.
Victor K. McElheny Award in science journalism honors series on poultry farming and the environment. The national award from the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT recognizes The Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer for their series, “Big Poultry.”
🧭Jobs
Senior Editor, Branded Content Programs at GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News). While proximity to the GEN office in New Rochelle, NY, is preferred, they will consider all candidates regardless of location for this key position.
More science writing jobs👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
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