JOE PALCA WINS FIRST NATIONAL ACADEMIES COMMUNICATION AWARD

NASW member Joe Palca, a science correspondent for National Public Radio, is one of three recipients of the first National Academies Communication Awards. These awards recognize excellence in reporting and communicating science, engineering, and medicine to the general public. Palca will receive a $20,000 cash award at a ceremony, in November, at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, CA, and participate in a panel discussion on reporting and explaining science to the public.

The Communication Awards are one component of the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative. The Futures Initiative is funded by a 15-year, $40 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. The initiative will sponsor conferences to bring together scientists from many disciplines to pose new questions and share ideas for new interdisciplinary research. The conferences will also explore ways to improve communication among scientists, as well as between scientists and the public.

The judges for the Communication Awards considered 165 print, radio, and television entries. In choosing Palca, they cited his skill in reporting and producing clear and compelling news stories for radio about the scientific and human dimensions of cloning. His entry included:

  • “Profile: Ethical and Social Arguments For and Against the Idea of Human Reproductive Cloning,” June 10, 2002, All Things Considered.
  • “Analysis: How to Tell if a Clone Is Really a Clone,” Sept. 19, 2002, All Things Considered.
  • “Profile: Researchers Across the Country Work to Clone Various Animals,” Oct. 30, 2002, Morning Edition.
  • “Profile: Confusion Over the Word Cloning and How it Can Blur Any Clear Distinction Regarding Certain Scientific Research,” Dec. 11, 2002, All Things Considered.

For information on the other 2003 award winners, the Futures Initiative, and 2004 Communication Awards nomination process visit www.national-academies.org/keck.

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(Source: news release)