NASW 2001 Workshops
Berkeley, Calif.
Important deadlines:
- Nov. 15 - Early registration deadline
- Nov. 15 - Berkeley preferred housing deadline
- Jan. 7 - Late registration deadline (add $20 late registration fee)
Registration forms have been mailed to NASW members. To receive a
registration form, send your request with your snail mail address to Diane
McGurgan, diane@nasw.org.
For the first time, you may pay
online, but you still must send in the registration form by mail. |
NASW workshops are full and closed. Workshop tapes
will be available for sale.
Thursday, February 15
Clark Kerr Campus,University
of California, Berkeley
Directions:
For those staying in downtown San Francisco, the best option is BART.
The fare from any downtown San Francisco stop is $2.65 one way. Take the
Richmond train directly to Downtown Berkeley -- about a 30 minute ride --
or take a Pittsburg/Bay Point train and transfer to a Richmond train in
downtown Oakland.
When you arrive at the Downtown Berkeley BART station, take the escalator
to street level. You will be at the corner of Shattuck Ave. and Center St.
You have four options: a 25 cent UC Berkeley shuttle bus; a $1.35 AC Transit
bus; a cab; or you could walk about 1.5 miles uphill.
Cab -- There usually is a short line of cabs on Shattuck Ave. at the
BART exit. Tell the driver to take you to 2601 Warring St.
Walking -- If you want to walk, go south on Shattuck Ave. a half-mile
to Dwight Way and up Dwight a mile to Warring St. The Clark Kerr campus
is at 2601 Warring St.
Campus shuttle -- The UC Berkeley shuttle stops in front of the Bank
of America building at Shattuck and Center Streets, diagonally across the
intersection from the BART exit. Drop your quarter in the box and ride around
the campus until you reach the corner of Piedmont Ave. and Bancroft Way
(don't get off when the bus waits briefly at the campus mining circle).
The stop is in front of International House, a distinctive Mission-style
student residence. From there, walk south on Piedmont two long blocks to
the Clark Kerr campus, located at the corner of Dwight Way where Piedmont
jogs left to merge into Warring St. The Krutch Theater is another block
along Warring, at the main entrance to the Clark Kerr campus.
County bus -- If you want to ride public transit, the 51 and 51A buses
stop about every 10 minutes on Shattuck Ave. at Center St., right at the
BART exit. For $1.35 (exact change only) you can ride the bus through the
area south of campus, up Durant Ave. to College Ave., then south three blocks
on College to Dwight Way, where you should get off. Walk uphill along Dwight
Way slightly more than two blocks to Piedmont Ave./Warring St. The Clark
Kerr campus is straight ahead to your right.
If you want a map, check out Yahoo's at http://maps.yahoo.com/
If you are driving, you can find directions at http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/conference/planner/DirtoUCB_CKC.html.
A map of the Kerr campus showing the Southwest Parking Lot is at http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/conference/map.html.
Cost is $8/day.
NOTE: For those staying at the Durant Hotel, it's about a half mile walk
to the Clark Kerr campus. Just head up Durant to Piedmont (two blocks),
then turn right and go another two blocks to the campus.
(Featuring optional concurrent afternoon tour of Lawrence Berkeley Lab)
8:15-8:45 am
Continental Breakfast
8:45-10:45 am
NASW Plenary: Science Dot Com(munication): Ethics and Enterprise for Converging
Media
{Organized by Rick Borchelt, Vanderbilt University and Office of Science,
U.S. Department of Energy; Merry Bruns, ScienceSites Communications; Lynne
Friedmann, Friedmann Communications; Robert Lee Hotz, The Los Angeles Times}
In just the past five years, the growth of the Internet and related technologies
has profoundly changed how we write about science and how our audiences
get information about science and technology. These changes have had impacts
on journalism education and training, professional ethics, journalism and
public affairs, and on audience expectations of science-related materials
on the Web and in traditional media. This workshop explores changes in the
Internet marketplace through the lens of two important studies: a Fall 2000
report from the UCLA Center for Communication Policy on international Internet
usage and the recent Eyetrack study of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies
on how people access and use Internet news sites.
Part I: Marion Lewenstein, Stanford University
Respondents: Paul Grabowicz, New Media Program, University of California,
Berkeley, and Charlene Laino, health editor, MSNBC.com
Part II: Dr. Jeffrey Cole, director, Center for Communication
Policy, University of California, Los Angeles
Respondents: Lori Cuthbert, science news editor, Discovery.com,
and Larry Pryor, editor, Online Journalism Review; director, Online Journalism
Program, Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California
11 am - Noon
Breakout I
Writing Biography
{Organized by Deborah Blum, Robin Marantz Henig, Freelance}
The science and art of writing a portrait is the topic of this panel,
which explores the challenges, joys, politics, and ethical dilemmas of
doing biography.
- Deborah Blum, NASW vice president and currently involved in a love-hate
relationship with the story of pioneering psychologist Harry Frederick
Harlow (Perseus)
- Robin Marantz Henig, author of The Monk in the Garden, a look at the
geneticist/monk, Gregor Mendel (Houghton Mifflin)
- Dennis Overbye, New York Times deputy science editor, author of "Einstein
in Love" (Viking)
- James Atlas, Viking/Penguin editor who is launching a new series of
scientific biographies
- George Johnson, New York Times science writer; author of Strange Beauty,
the biography of physicist Murray Gell-Mann (Knopf)
The Incredible Vanishing Science Writer: How Corporate Management
is Changing Science News
{Organized by Earle Holland, Ohio State University, and Sally Pobojewski,
University of Michigan}
From university news bureaus to media newsrooms, science writers are
facing a new style of corporate management. Peer review and attribution
are out. Synergy and branding are in. The line between editorial and advertising
is wavering. Experienced science writers are becoming web content providers
or going freelance. What's happening to science news? A panel of journalists
and PIOs will describe how this trend is affecting science coverage at
universities and newspapers and will speculate about what lies ahead for
our profession. Results of a nationwide survey of NASW members designed
to measure the impact of corporate influences will be released at the workshop.
- Joel N. Shurkin, senior editor, HopkinsHealth, Johns Hopkins Medical
Institution; former science writer, Stanford University
- Earle M. Holland, director of research communications, Ohio State University
- Lois Wingerson, editorial manager, BioMedNet
Meet the Editors Again
{Organized by Aries Keck, Freelance}
The ever popular "Meet the Editors" panel returns with editors
from national publications.
- Peter Aldhous, Nature
- Colin Norman, Science
- Corey Powell, Discover
- Bob Holmes, New Scientist
- Dawn Stover, Popular Science
- Claire Tristram, Technology Review
Giving Science the Business
{Organized by Nancy Shute, US News & World Report}
Increasingly, researchers are forging partnerships with industry to
profit on the fruits of their research. Yet many science reporters lack
experience at covering the business side of these deals. Is the researcher
talking up the results because an IPO is in the offing? Are results being
withheld at the behest of a corporate partner? Veteran science reporters
discuss problems that this new business focus has caused for them on the
beat, with practical tips on how to research companies online, advice on
working with financial analysts, and the Top 10 Tip-Offs that a company
may be suspect.
- Paul Raeburn, senior editor, Business Week
- Tom Abate, business/biotech reporter, San Francisco Chronicle
- Kenneth Chahine, vice president of business development at Avigen,
Inc., a biotech and gene therapy firm; writer for Nature Biotechnology
Noon-1 pm
Network Lunch
An NASW first. Help yourself to a buffet lunch, then select from dozens
of topics of interest, and join a small group of colleagues at a table moderated
by an NASW peer. Dine while sharing information, ideas, tips, and experiences
related to the craft of science writing and communication. Make connections
with colleagues that will last long after the meal is over. A list of topic
tables will be available at the start of the workshop and posted at the
luncheon.
1:15-4:30 pm
Tour of Lawrence Berkeley Lab
{organized by Ron Kolb and Lynne Yarris, LBL}
- 1:15 pm Lab bus pickes up at Clark Kerr campus
- 1:30-1:45 pm Welcome from LBL director Charles Shank
- 2-4:15 pm Your choice of three theme-oriented tours of the Advanced
Light Source) and three lectures on current science issues under study
at the lab.
- 4:15 pm Lab bus returns to Clark Kerr campus
1:15-2:45 pm
Breakout II
Art and Craft of Science Writing, Part I Making the Transition to
Literary Narrative
{Organized by Laura van Dam, senior editor, Houghton Mifflin Co., and
Jon Franklin, The (Raleigh) News & Observer}
We all use the word story when we describe our work, but in the world
of books, the word "story" means something different from its
meaning in other media. This workshop will focus on how to make a successful
switch to writing a book with literary narrative. The speakers will share
their discoveries of problems and pleasures they have found as authors
of books.
- Russ Rymer, author, Genie: A Scientific Tragedy (1993) (National Book
Critics Circle Award finalist and winner of the 1995 Whiting Writer's Award);
American Beach: A Saga of Race, Wealth, and Memory (1998) (LA Times Book
Prize finalist). Rymer has also written or edited for The Sciences, Science,
The New York Times, and The New Yorker
- Jon Palfreman, coauthor, The Case of the Frozen Addicts (1996) and
Dream Machine: Exploring the Computer Age (1993). A veteran of BBC and
PBS, Palfreman has produced Peabody, Emmy, and Writers Guild award-winning
documentaries, twice won the NASW Science-in-Society Award, and three times
won the AAAS Science Journalism Award
Meet the Editors Chat Session
{Organized by Aries Keck, Freelance}
Up-close and personal contact with a roomful of editors.
- Max Benavidez, assistant vice chancellor for university communications,
UCLA;
- David Ehrenstein, editor, Physical Review Focus
- Britt Erickson, Environmental Science & Technology
- Elizabeth Zubritsky, Analytical Chemistry
- Hara Estroff Marano, editor in chief, Infantelligence
- Many more editors TBA
Freedom of Information Act: Use it (better) or lose it
{Organized by Billy Goodman, Freelance}
Intimidated by the prospect of filing a FOIA request, or just want to
improve your chances of getting useful material? Two reporters with extensive
experience using FOIA to do investigative stories or augment features team
with a specialist in media law to explain the legal ins and outs of FOIA
and how to use it more effectively. Some real-life "war stories''
will make it all concrete.
- Jon Cohen, contributing correspondent, Science
- James Wheaton, senior counsel, First Amendment Project
- Seth Rosenfeld, reporter, San Francisco Examiner
3:00-4:30 pm
Breakout III
Art and Craft of Science Writing, Part II
Savvy Interviewing: The Art and Craft of Talking with People for Publication
or Broadcast (3-3:45 pm)
{Organized by Karla Harby, Freelance}
In this panel, we'll discuss landing the interview, doing prior research,
establishing rapport, when and how to get tough, taking notes and audio
taping, protecting sources; and handling "off the record," "not
for attribution" and "background only" stipulations.
- M. Mitchell Waldrop, former senior writer at Science magazine, author
of Man-Made Minds (1987), a book about artificial intelligence; and Complexity
(1992), is at work on a new book about computers called The Technology
of Enchantment
- Doug Levy, former science reporter for USA Today, former science editor
for UPI, and a Peabody-award winning investigative news producer for the
Mutual Broadcasting System/NBC Radio Networks
- Sandy Blakeslee, science correspondent for the New York Times, covers
neuroscience, geophysics and more. Her books include the current bestseller
(with Judith Wallerstein) The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce and Phantoms
in the Brain with V.S. Ramachandran.
Humor in Science Writing (3:45-4:30 pm)
{Organized by Steve Miller, Freelance}
Your editor wants to see a bit lighter style, but the subject seems
pretty dry. What are you going to do? Our panelists will discuss the art
of incorporating humor in science writing. Join us for a fun discussion
and bring your questions. We are also compiling a list of the funniest
headlines (intentional and unintentional) from science publications. Send
your nomination along with where it appeared to stevemiller11@home.com
with the word "headline" in the subject line.
- Mary Roach, whose humorous articles have appeared in Discover, Muse,
Salon.com, Health, and the New York Times Magazine
- Steve Mirsky, editor at Scientific American and author of the Antigravity
(allegedly) humor column. He also writes lighter stuff for Wildlife Conservation
and Muse, the Smithsonian's magazine for kids.
From Fuzzy Notion to Bestseller: How to Mint a Good Book
{Organized by Deborah Franklin, Health Magazine and John Travis, Science
News}
So, you want to write a book? Our panel will answer questions and offer
insider tips and candid wisdom on how to turn an intriguing idea into a
winning book proposal and fabulous book. What makes a good agent and how
do you find one? What are publishers looking for in a proposal, and what
determines the size of the advance? What happens to the manuscript after
it's turned over to the publishing house? Are science books selling? We'll
hear about contract pitfalls to avoid, the pros and cons of working with
scientists as coauthors, common mistakes made by beginners, and "Three
Things I Wish They'd Told Me Before I Wrote My First Book."
- Keay Davidson, science writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, co-author
of Carl Sagan: A Life; and Wrinkles in Time (with George Smoot), and author
of a forthcoming biography of Thomas S. Kuhn (Oxford University Press)
- Constance Hale, author, Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective
Prose; and Wired Style: Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age
- Laurie Garrett, ascience and medical writer, Newsday; author of Betrayal
of Trust: The Collapse of Public Health; and The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging
Diseases in a World Out of Balance
- The moderators heartily encourage other NASW member/authors to contribute
to the discussion.
Maximizing News Release Effectiveness
{Organized by Deborah Hill, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental
Laboratory}
For most public information officers (PIOs), the news release is the
"do-it-all" communications document. The challenge in writing
a release is that it needs to speak to a varied audience -- the public,
research peers and partners, industry, alumni, science media, and still
others. What strategies, tools, and networks can a PIO cultivate to maximize
the visibility and effectiveness of a news release? The panel will discuss
release content, strategies for pitching stories to freelancers and reporters,
online newsrooms and electronic distribution opportunities, and the video
news release.
- Kim McDonald, director of science communications, University of California,
San Diego
- A'ndrea Messer, science & research PIO, Pennsylvania State University
- Earle Holland, director, science communications, Ohio State University
4:30-5:30 pm
Muse Reception
{organized by Diana Lutz, Editor, Muse magazine}
Muse magazine, the children's non-fiction magazine with a sense of humor,
published by the Cricket Magazine Group and Smithsonian magazine, sponsors
a post-workshop reception. Enjoy wine and cheese. Meet "Humor in Science
Writing" panelists and Muse authors Steve Miller, Steve Mirsky, and
Mary Roach; as well Muse cartoonist Larry Gonick, author of Cartoon Guide
to Physics and Cartoon Guide to Sex. |