How should writers respond to public concerns about controversial science? Is it better to defend research using blogs and social media, or to post data online and let the research speak for itself? Saturday’s workshop featured two very different scientific controversies and the strategies used to address them.
Oct. 16, 2011NASW news
Ah, the allure of not having to go to roll out of bed and rush to the 9 to 5 job staff job. That’s the life of a freelancer. But the freedom, of course, has its drawbacks: Paychecks are uncertain and you’re on your own to pay for health benefits.
Oct. 16, 2011Some of the most common trespasses for PIOs include not returning reporters’ emails and calls in a timely fashion, hyping news, being dishonest or misleading, micromanaging rather than facilitating, not knowing one’s audience, and not following through on promises.
Oct. 16, 2011In the world of 24-hour deadlines, it’s a rare luxury to talk candidly with colleagues about the ethical dilemmas science writers regularly face. The Saturday afternoon session “Covering Scientific Controversies” offered just that: space to probe the gray areas that arise when we tackle divisive issues.
Oct. 16, 2011Many freelance writers start off as generalists and, either by plan or accident, end up specializing in a particular topic because it can save them time and get them more work. In fact, of the six panelists who discussed specialization at Saturday afternoon’s “Beat It” session, only one identified himself as a complete generalist.
Oct. 16, 2011Science writing is everywhere — even in non-science publications. But how does a science writer cross over to those markets? A standing-room-only crowd gathered to hear the answer on Saturday morning at Science Writers 2011 in Flagstaff.
Oct. 16, 2011In a session mediated by freelancer Karen Infeld Blum, three seasoned correspondents talked about tips and tricks to get the most out of interviews with challenging subjects.
Oct. 16, 2011Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” greeted receptive attendees of David Dobbs’ Saturday afternoon workshop “Going Long: How to Structure the Longform Narrative – with Help From Music, Theater, and Film.” Dobbs played portions of the track, an example of the rock pioneers’ exploration of song structure, to kick off a fascinating talk and discussion about the use of form and structure in longform narrative stories.
Oct. 16, 2011When Siri Carpenter opened the Pitch Slam session, just two writers had signed up to pitch. But an hour and a half later, nearly a dozen ideas had been put to the panel of seven editors. Not a single assignment was made, but both the pitchers and many others in the room likely walked out with insight about how these editors think and some specific suggestions for selling an idea.
Oct. 16, 2011