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23/04/03

WORKSHOP REPORT: Science and the Media

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SCIENCE AND THE MEDIA
An international workshop
Feb 26 – 28 2002, Tobago, West Indies

The following material was presented at, or is based on the proceedings of, a workshop organised jointly by the InterAcademy Panel, The Caribbean Academy of Sciences and SciDev.Net.

INTRODUCTION TO WORKSHOP

PAPERS

Science and the Media: An Overview in Developed Countries
Boyce Rensberger, director of the Knight Fellowships Programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, sets out some of the guiding principle of science journalism. (This is a Power Point presentation that can only be viewed in Internet Explorer)

What’s the deal in Latin America?
Lisbeth Fog, president of the Colombian Association of Science Journalism, describes the many faces of science journalism in various countries in Latin America.

The Science of Spin: A Public Information Officer’s Perspective
Susan Turner-Lowe, former communications director of the US National Academy of Sciences, describes the key role of public information officers (PIOs) in bridging the gap between scientists and journalists.

Communicating science in a science-unfriendly environment
Inyang Ekanem, administrative secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Science, describes his academy’s experience in trying to raise public awareness of the nature and importance of science.

Communicating to the public and decision-makers: The Chinese experience
Mu Rongping, deputy director-general of the Institute of Policy and Management at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, describes how his academy reports to the public and politicians on the achievements of Chinese science.

Science and the media in Argentina
Valeria Roman, a science journalist with Clarin Newspaper in Buenos Aires, describes the opportunities and obstacles facing science journalists in Argentina.

Good science journalism and the barriers to it: a perspective from India
Pallava Bagla, Indian correspondent for Science, a regular contributor to the Indian Express, and a photographer with the agency Corbis Sygma, describes the challenges and barriers that face science journalists in India.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Science and the media: AIDS in South Africa
William Makgoba, president of the Medical Research Council of South Africa.
(This paper was prepared for the workshop, but due to travel difficulties, the author was unable to be present to deliver it).

OTHER MATERIAL

POST-WORKSHOP COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS

CONCLUSIONS AND COMMENTS (David Dickson/SciDev.Net)

List of participants

Group photo of participants

In addition to financial support from the main organisers, the workshop received funding from Cariscience, the French Academy of Sciences, the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships, Unesco and the US National Academies.