✍️Science Writing News Roundup #3 (August 29, 2020)
The latest news, opportunities, resources, videos, and events related to science writing and science journalism.
🔖 News
Jesse Harris recently wrote a deconstruction of Ed Yong's "How the Pandemic Defeated America" attempting to draw out some of the features that made the article particularly good. (Ed Yong himself seemed to really like the deconstruction as well)
How can science writers cover vaccine science effectively? A roundtable at SWCC (Science Writers and Communicators of Canada) 2020 uncovered some insights.
How can journalists better report on coronavirus vaccines? Here are some tips by the Journalist’s Resource.
Do you know the difference between science communication and science journalism? Anna Funk, Associate Editor at Discover Magazine, explains.
🥁 Author spotlight
Kathryn Hansen, science writer at NASA's Earth Observatory, explains why she decided to make a career out of learning new things directly from the experts and then relay that information to others.
Lucy Jones, who is among the world's most influential seismologists, shares some tips on how to craft a message that effectively conveys complicated scientific information.
What will buildings look like in a COVID-conscious world? Emily Anthes (who won the 2018 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Gold Award in the Magazine category), shares some of the ways the pandemic is changing indoor spaces and building design.
📣 Tools
Learn how to use Microsoft Word’s new ‘Transcribe’ tool
Check out the Journalist’s Toolbox Science Resources page, with resources for start-up newsrooms, freelancers, entrepreneurs, educators and student publications.
🎟️ Events
UK Conference of Science Journalists (October 13-15, 2020, early bird registration ends August 31.)
Gene editing and journalism: What story? Whose story? And why? (CRISPRcon 2020, September 1, 2020)
ScienceWriters2020 (October 19-23, 2020, early bird registration ends September 1)
Harvard Book Store Virtual Event with Rita Colwell: A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science. (September 4, 2020)
Science & nature book club: She Has Her Mother’s Laugh, by Carl Zimmer. (Austin Texas Science Writers, September 6, 2020)
Weird science: what journalists get wrong about scientific studies... and how to get it right (SPJ 2020 Journalism Conference, September 12, 2020)
PCST public webinar: Launch of book “Communicating Science: a Global Perspective” (September 15, 2020)
NASW regular members are invited to participate in the election of NASW's 2020-2022 volunteer leadership (September 22, 2020)
Wiley Science Talks with AGU (American Geophysical Union) on GeoHealth: The Impact of Climate Change on Health and Society (September 22, 2020)
Pay It Forward to Future You: Investing & Retirement for Freelancers (in the United States), by Jenni Gritters and Wudan Yan (October 1, 2020)
In this workshop, author Amy Stewart will explore how to use storytelling methods in nonfiction writing, including plot, character, drama, setting, and conflict (October 17, 2020)
🌈 Opportunities
The NASW Grants Committee is now accepting applications for grants of up to $15,000 to support projects and programs that will help science writers in their professional lives and/or benefit the field of science writing. Apply by September 30, 2020.
The Northwest Science Writers Association is now accepting applications for their annual Career Development Awards. Apply by September 1, 2020.
Check out this call for chapter proposals for a new book on teaching science students to communicate. The book will be published by Springer Nature in 2021.
Check out the Writing in the Sciences course by Stanford University on Coursera, it teaches scientists to become more effective writers (including writing for general audiences!)
🌍 Videos
Science Writer Bradley van Paridon discusses how to tell a good story, with a focus on online writing and podcasting (CONNECT 2020, August 27, 2020)
In Conversation About Inclusive Writing (DC Science Writers Association, August 27, 2020)
The World After Coronavirus: The Future of Science Journalism | Mariette DiChristina (BU Pardee Center, August 24, 2020)
Emily Anthes and Carl Zimmer discuss Emily's latest book, The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness (Harvard Book Store, August 27, 2020)
What would antiracist journalism look like? (National Press Club Journalism Institute, August 21, 2020)
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Note: The top image is by Vijay Verma on Iconscout