✍️Science Writing News Roundup #21 (December 9, 2020)
How to write a superb literature review + Seven building blocks for storytelling during the time of COVID-19 + When journalists should care about p-values
Christie Aschwanden on COVID-19 and the Impact of Data Reporting: Kavli Science Journalism Silver Award winner Christie Aschwanden discusses how data journalism on COVID-19 can illustrate ideas such as "flattening the curve."
🗺️ Ideas
Journalism in the age of pandemics. What have journalists learned from covering the pandemic? How should future health emergencies be covered? At a recent event, scientists, journalists, and editors reflected on the lessons we can draw from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Women’s perspectives and voices need more inclusion in Covid-19 media coverage. In an effort to diversify the voice of experts and incorporate the differential impact of Covid-19 on women, Nandini Oomman, Kathryn Conn, and Elizabeth O’Connell have contributed to a checklist in partnership with Women in Global Health to help those writing about Covid-19.
A lesson in science communication from Dr. Anthony Fauci. From the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Fauci recognized that his audience, the “American people”, is not a single audience, rather it is a vast collection of audiences, writes Alyse Krausz.
Seven building blocks for storytelling during the time of COVID-19. “We instinctively habitually reach for political reaction stories, but this pandemic is actually far better explained by scientists than by politicians,” says Shirish Kulkarni, freelance investigative journalist.
Following the science: the writers who have made sense of Covid. Science journalist Gaia Vince reflects on a challenging and exhilarating year of being a science writer: “Suddenly, being a scientist – and writing about science – was more interesting to the public than making movies or playing football (especially when neither of these was allowed).”
When journalists should care about p-values. Studies are awash with p-values, and so we’d best understand what it is they do, writes Clayton Aldern, data strategist at Grist.
📝 Tips
How to write a superb literature review: Nature asked editors and working scientists with well-cited reviews for their tips. “It is not enough for a review to be a summary of the latest growth in the literature: the most interesting reviews instead provide a discussion about disagreements in the field,” says Ankita Anirban, Editor of Nature Reviews Physics.
🪂 Opportunities
Entries for the 2021 Science in Society Journalism Awards and the 2021 Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards are now open!
Entries are now open for the Society of Editors’ Press Awards for 2020, known as the ‘Oscars’ for the British Press.
Apply to join the NOVA Science Studio: Students over the age of 13 in the United States or a U.S. territory can apply for this program that empowers students with the skills to tell engaging stories about science through text journalism and short-form video.
The Aotearoa New Zealand Science Journalism Fund will offer up to $15,000 of funding for projects on native plants under threat and resilience to natural disasters.
📱 Videos
COVID-19 Vaccines: Regulation, Allocation, and Hesitancy Media Briefing
Decolonizing Science Writing Webinar, with Jane Hu, Shalina Chatlani, Jerry McCormick and David Coddon
Neuwrite London shared the video links from the Science Book Panel (Seminar 1) and the Science Journalism Panel (Seminar 2). Unfortunately, they have not been given permission to share the link for the Science Writer Panel (Seminar 3) but you will be able to find summaries of all three panel events here, which also include some very valuable resources to help you on your writer's journey.
If you speak Portuguese, check out these videos from the Brazilian Network of Science Journalists and Communicators, RedeComCiência: 1) Lições da pandemia para o jornalismo e para a Comunicação de Ciência, 2) Como encontrar fontes para cobrir pautas científicas? and 3) Onde achar ideias para pautas de ciência?
If you speak Spanish, check out the “Programa de AAAS Mass Media: ¿Cómo prepararme para un internado en periodismo científico?”
Covering COVID-19: Verifying facts & Reporting on the Infodemic
Four qualities of Solutions Journalism (Source: Build Trust During COVID by Reporting on Solutions)
🎙️ Events
Science Reporting for the Public: A workshop by Science Says (December 10, 2020)
The Best in Australian Science Writing 2020 (December 10, 2020) Click on “Book online” to register
Online SciComm Coworking Session (December 10, 2020)
Reporting on the COVID-19 Vaccines: This webinar, featuring the president of the American Medical Association, will help local journalists understand the science, logistics and potential concerns of a COVID-19 vaccine. (December 14, 2020)
Reporting On and Living With COVID-19: The View of Four Central and South American Journalists (December 15, 2020)
🏂 Career opportunities
Science Writer, The National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD
Undergraduate Science Communication Research Summer Internship Program, STEM Advocacy Institute
Senior Science Writer and Digital Content Manager, Columbia University, New York, NY
Science Correspondent, The Telegraph, London, UK
More jobs 👉Science Writing News Roundup #20
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