NASW news

Would you like to volunteer your time as a member of the Listserv Policies Subcommittee? The subcommittee will report back to the NASW president in one month with recommendations.

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By Melissa Lee Phillips

Starting a science Web log probably won't finance your retirement, but it could boost your career in other ways, said Chris Mooney, Washington correspondent for Seed magazine and senior correspondent for The American Prospect. Mooney's comments were part of a panel at NASW's "Navigating the New Media" session.

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See the statements of candidates running for office or a seat on the board of directors of the National Association of Science Writers; statements also appeared in the summer issue of ScienceWriters. Officers and board members serve a term of two years, starting January 2007. Members should have received the ballots in the mail. Ballots are due to Diane McGurgan, executive director, by Nov. 30.

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By Patrick L. Barry

It all comes down to the pitch. Whether a story idea lives or dies depends on the writer's ability to pitch it to an editor quickly, clearly, and with pizzazz. At the lively "Pitch Slam" session, writers queued up to pitch their ideas to a high-powered panel of editors, who dissected each pitch like doctors in an operating room theater, providing valuable lessons on the anatomy of a successful pitch for all who attended.

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By B. Christine Hoekenga

"Podcasting is about content," Ivan Semeniuk told the crowd of roughly 100 assembled for the Podcasting 101 session at the 2006 NASW Conference. "But I want to add one more layer to that: it's about identity." Semenuik, the host and producer of New Scientist's "Sci-Pod," and the four other panelists returned repeatedly to the themes of creating identity and grappling with technology as they explained the fundamentals of podcasting — from getting good sound quality for phone-recorded interviews to marketing techniques for recruiting more listeners.

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