by Ainissa Ramirez
The ten-week internship began with a three-day introduction into the world of science journalism. Accelerating from zero to hero in three days is a tall order. As a result, the orientation proved to be more of a pep rally than a science-writing course, but we did receive a succinct introduction to science journalism peppered with talks from people in the field and tours of various media venues. The orientation started our engines; anticipation provided the fuel.
The nine fellows were assigned to sites all over the country and to different types of media. This year's host sites included: Time Magazine, Newsweek, US News & World Report, The Chicago Tribune, The Oregonian, The Raleigh News & Observer, The Richmond Times Dispatch, ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" and WOSU-AM in Columbus, Ohio. Although our experiences were unique, the challenges were pretty much the same: keeping your balance on moving terrain.
"My first week at the Tribune was one of constant worry and near-exhaustion," reported Jeremy Manier, assigned to The Chicago Tribune. Kimberly Brouwer, at WOSU-AM, concurred: "My first few days whirled by."
I felt the turbulence at the Washington DC bureau of Time Magazine, where I encountered a story conference on my very first day. It was also good fortune, since it provided not only a run-down of late-breaking news and suggestions for upcoming magazine issues, but also some insight into the people with whom I was going to work. Time correspondents are a first-class group, with a high level of excellence. That first story conference taught me how hard I would have to work to emulate that level of excellence. I also knew I didn't have very much time to make the most of this opportunity.
After being introduced by the bureau chief, Dan Goodgame, I was asked if I had anything to contribute to the meeting. I responded, "Well, as a matter of fact, I do." The small uproar that followed suggested that no one was expecting me to contribute on the first day. I pitched a story on the new fabrics used in Olympic swimwear, which I had learned about during the AAAS orientation.
They loved the idea. The bureau chief asked me to write it up as soon as possible for the editors in New York. It was a great way to break the ice.
One obstacle that almost all the fellows encountered was fear of the telephone. Making cold-calls was a challenge, a skill we learned to develop. As with any new skill, there were stumbles. "I'm definitely less phone-phobic than I was," said Nancy Jacobson at the Oregonian. "I'm quickly becoming comfortable with the cold-calling of experts," reported Peter Burkholder at Newsweek, "but I'm still fumbling at taking accurate notes and following a conversational thread at the same time. Every time I hang up the phone and review my notes, a zillion obvious questions pop into my mind."
I often had to call back for clarification, certainly a humbling experience,
but imperative. In science, one can estimate or round-off, but journalism
needs facts verbatim. Only one fellow appeared immune--Jeremy Manier at
The Tribune. He attributed his resistance to earlier experience as
a telemarketer.
Learning to be adaptable was another prerequisite on the fast track. "After
working in laboratories with fairly predictable schedules and set-ups, I
came to realize that radio requires a great deal more flexibility,"
said Kimberly Brouwer at WOSU. "Everyday at WOSU is a game of
musical chairs. Reporters hop from computer to computer leaving a trail
of paper in their wake." Scientists love methodology and protocol,
but the media are closer to life (at times) and all its unpredictability.
Success in this environment requires awesome powers of concentration, a
talent we collectively admired. "My colleagues here seem to handle
multiple assignments in stride. I will certainly never look at a newspaper
article in quite the same way again!" said Teresa Jones at the Raleigh
News & Observer.
After such a good start at Time, I anticipated more opportunities to contribute ideas, but there was a dry spell. As a result, I worked on other stories that were not always science-related. I learned that being in science journalism means that one needs to be a jack of many trades. My colleagues learned the same lesson. Christina Hsu, at ABC's "Good Morning America," reported, "It was slightly stressful but also very exciting to have the opportunity to act as an associate producer. Although what I am doing is a far cry from science writing, I am learning the process of putting segments together on the air."
Many of us found that having a science background can sometimes be a mixed blessing, especially during the Olympics. "I'm glad to see I'm not the only one being abused for my ability to convert from metric to traditional units," wrote Marc Schulte at US News & World Report. Peter Burkholder at Newsweek reported that his science background came through in his "attention to quantitative measure of performance, accuracy in maps, or even unit conversion."
As with travel at breakneck speeds, you get to your destination sooner. From the internship, we were able to travel from science writing novice to a level of notoriety. During the internship, we often looked for each other's work and awarded kudos to each other for the published pieces we saw. Some of us had the opportunity to reach a broader audience. Harrison Wein, assigned to the Richmond Times Dispatch, was made aware of his influence he had on the public directly: "One day while walking down a deserted side street in downtown Richmond, I thought I was about to be mugged by a man staring at me on the corner as I approached. But, then he suddenly reached out to shake my hand. 'You're the one who wrote that editorial in the newspaper last week!' I was taken aback--someone was actually reading my stories!"
The internship was not a cushy summer thing. After my dry spell at Time, the news desk editor, Brian Doyle, rushed up with a query in hand, and assigned me the 'Life on Mars' story. The query directed me to NASA headquarters for a press conference on the now-famous meteorite. I grabbed my recorder, pad and press credentials and was off. When I arrived at NASA, I entered a small auditorium that filled up about twenty minutes before the press conference began. The panel of scientists arrived on the hour with meteorite in hand. Once the rock was spotted, the press made a rush to the stage with the mentality and moves of defensive linebackers. I dove right in. Although a novice, I was armed with a science background that allowed me to skip over cursory explanations and delve into more advanced questions. It was refreshing to participate in a scientific dialog on behalf of the public. It was also an eye-opener because I got a chance to see science in the big picture and not on a microscopic level as in my studies.
An exposure to newsmaking changed forever how most fellows will see science and scientists in the news. What an incredible opportunity! We were now game players.
In the closing session of our internship, a few of the fellows were able to return to AAAS headquarters to recap their experiences. For the most part, all of us gained a new appreciation for the importance of communicating science understandably to the non-scientist. Many fellows had caught the science-writing bug and wanted to continue writing in some fashion. For me, the next step is something I am pondering. I would like to do some freelance writing along with my future career as a scientist, although I am not yet quite sure how that is going to happen. What I am certain of is my awe for the importance of science journalism and how honorable this work is.
Anissa G. Ramirez is a graduate student in the Materials Science and Engineering Departmetn at Stanford University and founder of Scienceworks. Scienceworks is a science writing and consulting group based in the San Francisco Bay Area, dedicated to making science fun and understandable for everyone. She can be reached at PO Box 9043, Stanford, CA 94309, or emailed at nise@leland.stanford.edu.
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