Science Writers Roundtable: Self-Care Through Tough Transitions

Science Writers Roundtable:
Self-Care Through Tough Transitions
Presented by the NASW Board of Directors

Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023
Start Time: 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT
Event Recording: https://www.nasw.org/events/nasw-science-writers-virtual-events-video-recording-archive-2023-members-only (member login required)

In this era of mass journalism layoffs, mental health and self care can be a challenge even for those who retain their jobs. During this session, participants will gain practical advice from a happiness scholar on how to support yourself through tough transitions. We’ll learn from the experiences of colleagues who have faced layoffs — and emerged successfully on the other side as staff writers in new positions or as fledgling freelancers.

Handout from today's session: NASW SciWriRoundtable 20230615 Self Care Layoffs Resources Handout.pdf (74 KB)

Registration is free and open to all interested professionals and students.
Recording will be made available to NASW members.

Moderator:

Marla Broadfoot
Freelance Science Writer/Editor and NASW Board Member
With bylines in Scientific American, Science, STAT, The Scientist, Discover, Nature News, and Science News, among others, Broadfoot was elected to the NASW Board in 2022. She recently concluded five years leading the Science Communicators of North Carolina regional group, where she also served on the planning team to help bring ScienceWriters2012 to North Carolina. Broadfoot has also contributed to the NASW Awards Committee as a past judge; and other annual meetings as a session organizer.

Confirmed Speakers:

Stephanie Lee
Senior Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education
In 2022, Stephanie took a buyout from BuzzFeed News, where she had been a science and technology reporter for seven years. She is currently a senior reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education, covering research, scholars, and how their work affects society. Stephanie is a winner of the 2022 Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting, and her stories have been anthologized in The Best American Food Writing and noted in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. Stephanie has a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kortni Alston
Founder, Dr. Kortni Alston & Company
Chair and Associate Professor, Gardner-Webb University
Before becoming a happiness scholar, Kortni spent 17 years working as a radio personality, TV reporter, and news director. Her area of research is interdisciplinary, combining the areas of positive psychology, business administration, and media management. Currently, she is working on two books focused on positive psychology and workplace well-being. Kortni has a PhD in journalism and communication, a masters in business administration, and an undergraduate degree in mass communications.

Jenni Gritters
Business Coach and Freelance Writer/Editor
Jenni first started freelancing in 2018 after being laid off from her job editing at Wirecutter. She specializes in writing about psychology, parenting, and purchasing. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, The Guardian, Forbes, Business Insider, and Outside magazine, among others. She also coaches freelancers and creative entrepreneurs with a focus on building businesses that allow you to be fully human. Jenni has a master's degree in journalism, an undergraduate degree in psychology, a certification as a professional coach through the ICF, and a 200-hour certification in yoga and meditation.

#SciWriRoundtable

Curated by the Board of the National Association of Science Writers, the Science Writers Roundtable series is the organization’s main virtual events series dissecting and responding to the evergreen and emerging forces that shape the business of science news. Open to all interested professionals and students, each event is moderated by an NASW Board Member in conversation among colleagues with experience and expertise relevant to journalists, writers, PIOs, and other communicators. No matter your role and identity within the science writing enterprise, we hope you will take away invaluable insights and information from our #SciWriRoundtable to become a more prepared, better equipped professional, educator, trainee, leader, or ally. Learn more about the series at www.nasw.org/article/nasw-science-writers-sciwriroundtable-2023-new-virtual-events-series

Founded in 1934 with a mission to fight for the free flow of science news, NASW is an organization of ~ 2,500 professional journalists, authors, editors, producers, public information officers, students and people who write and produce material intended to inform the public about science, health, engineering, and technology. To learn more, visit www.nasw.org