✍️Science Writing News Roundup #155
Short course on science and writing and disability + Automating science journalism tasks.
An Overview of Catastrophic AI Risks: A new paper by The Center for AI Safety provides an overview of the main sources of catastrophic AI risks. Their goal is to inspire collective and proactive efforts to ensure that AIs are developed and deployed in a safe manner. Focusing on catastrophic risks from AIs doesn’t mean ignoring today’s urgent risks; both can be addressed simultaneously, just as we can concurrently conduct research on various different diseases or prioritize mitigating risks from climate change and nuclear warfare at once. To learn more, read the AI Safety Newsletter #11 and read the paper here. (Photo by Google DeepMind on Unsplash)
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🖨️Resources
Short course on science writing and disability: Ready to sharpen your inclusive writing skills? Are you looking for ways to infuse equity into your writing? In the course “Voices in Action: How to Democratize Science Journalism”, you will learn best practices surrounding how to center patients with disabilities in your writing.
Reporting beyond the medical studies on PFAS ‘forever chemicals’. The “forever chemicals” known as PFAS have been getting more attention in the past few years as multiple studies have been published about their connection to certain diseases and cancers.
TipSheet: Wildfire smoke — now a local story in unaccustomed places. Wildfire has been going on for a long time, but with climate heating it has gotten worse in the last few decades.
✏️Opportunities
Covering climate change science and policy in a polarized world [Washington, D.C.]: Get expert help navigating the complex landscape of climate change science and policy in this one-day masterclass while exploring resources and tools that can deeply inform and improve your reporting.
The Solutions Journalism Network invites you to apply for its Journalists of Color Fellowship. This 9-month fellowship is designed to identify and support a cohort of diverse, next-generation leaders through a program of solutions journalism, leadership training, mentorship and community of practice.
Call for pitches to write about biomedicine, neuroscience, energy, climate, forests, and more + Fellowships, courses, and prizes for writers 👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
💎Articles
Eradicating ableist language yields more-accurate and more-humane journalism. Journalists have helped propagate ableism by using language that casts disability—directly and indirectly—as abnormal and socially unacceptable. Some portrayals of disabled people are undeniably negative, painting them as incapable or criminal or miserable.
Automating science journalism tasks: Emerging opportunities. Digital tools have the potential to both semi-automate science journalist tasks including the incorporation of more diverse voices in science journalism.
We need to name and shame bad climate journalism: Human-caused global warming is creating catastrophic weather events. Our media has a responsibility to tell the public why this is happening and who is responsible.
After affirmative action ban, educators seek other ways to boost STEM diversity: The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to ban the use of race in undergraduate admissions was a serious setback, say advocates of increasing minority participation in science and engineering.
Race-neutral alternatives to affirmative action in college admissions: The research. How can colleges maintain or improve student diversity now that the Supreme Court has ruled it unlawful to admit students based partly on race and ethnicity?
🌏News
‘Storytelling in science’: the ESMH Summer School 2023 in a nutshell. Hosted from 6-10 June at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the European Science-Media Hub (ESMH) Summer School 2023: ‘Storytelling in science’, provided 60 early-career journalists with the opportunity to participate in discussions on science journalism, Europe’s information ecosystem, and how to connect with different audiences.
James Dinneen awarded 2023 Taylor/Blakeslee mentored science journalism project fellowship. The grant will support a reporting project focused on America’s aging nuclear energy infrastructure.
National Geographic reportedly lays off its last staff writers: Nineteen staffers affected, according to Washington Post, with celebrated magazine to end newsstand sales.
🖼️Videos and podcasts
SciComm Summer #14: Melinda Wenner Moyer on Science Journalism.
How do we prevent the next pandemic? Nature-based solutions and policy opportunities.
Improving communication between the scientific community and the public, media, and policy makers.
The A.I. Dilemma: How do we work with AI to deploy it safely?
🗓️Events
SciPEP 2023: New Insights for Communicating Basic Science (July 25-26, 2023)
More events 👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
🧳Jobs and internships
Science writing jobs and internships👉Bonus content for monthly supporters.
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