AAAS Recognizes Science Writers at NASW Banquet

The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded its prestigious Science Journalism Awards to five science writers at the annual banquet of the National Association of Science Writers February 15 in Seattle, Washington. The awards are sponsored by The Whitaker Foundation.

The competition covered articles in newspapers and magazines and broadcast shows on radio and television which were originally published or aired in the United States between July 1, 1995 and June 30, 1996.

• Curt Suplee of The Washington Post won the competition for the large newspaper category for three unrelated articles: "New State of Matter Heralded as Physics `Holy Grail,'" published on July 14, 1995; "Inside the Indivisible: Quarks Collide With Theories," February 19, 1996; and "Taming Anti-Atoms: A Matter of Degrees," May 13, 1996. Suplee was honored for his "vivid descriptions of complex subjects, clear and concise explanations, and his ability to provide historical context in an imaginative and entertaining manner."
• Eric Scigliano of the Seattle Weekly won the award for the small newspaper category for two unrelated articles: "Salmon Saviors," published on December 13, 1995; and "Holy Cedar," May 8, 1996. Scigliano was honored for his "enterprising effort and originality in both pieces, which communicate clearly the science of biodiversity to the general reader."
• The award for outstanding science writing in the magazine category went to J. Madeleine Nash of Time for her December 4, 1995 article "Evolution's Big Bang." She was honored for her "clear and compelling explanations of nature's abundant burst of life and her ability to bring this scientific mystery alive."
• Jon Palfreman of WGBH-TV's Frontline won the television category for his piece entitled "Breast Implants on Trial," which aired on PBS on February 27, 1996. He was recognized "for tackling a controversial subject by using a novel and imaginative approach to explain the conflict between science and law."
• In the radio category, Andrea de Leon was honored for her broadcast entitled "How Safe is Mother's Milk?" which aired on National Public Radio on May 17, 1996. She was selected "for her excellent writing that incorporated chemical, biological, and medical information into a well-paced piece that told an engaging and balanced story about this timely topic."

Independent screening and judging committees, consisting of journalists and scientists, selected the winners. On the print judging committee were Nils J. Bruzelius, Boston Globe; John Carey, Business Week; Jim Detjen, Knight Professor of Environmental Journalism,, Michigan State University; Ann Gibbons, Science; Dennis Meredith, Duke University; and David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle. Television judges were Ron Bonn, producer; Gino Del Guercio, Boston Science Communications; Peggy Girshman, National Public Radio; Murrey Jacobson, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer; and David Lindley, Science News freelance. Radio judges were John Bisney, CNN Radio; Paul Coulter, CBS Radio; John Keefe, Discovery Channel Online; Doug Levy, USA Today; David McAlary, Voice of America; and Joe Shepherd, AAAS Radio.

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