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Communications |
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Sounds of Science: Society Launches Podcast |
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If you haven’t already, please check it out at http://www.lifelines.tv. |
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Media Roundup |
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Our journal studies have been highlighted in
some of the leading newspapers and magazines in the country in recent
months. Our clipping service noted APS studies in the Sacramento Bee,
Toronto Globe and Mail, San Diego Union Tribune, Newsday and the New York
Post, among other media outlets. In some cases, these mentions came from an
“evergreen” release on water consumption. Here are few examples of the stories that have appeared: Low Lead Exposures Can Hurt Kidneys in US News and World Report (http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/071010/low-lead-exposures-can-hurt-kidneys.htm)
The Washington Post CBC (Canada) News If you know of a study that is in Articles in Press and might be of interest to the general public, please drop a line to Communications Director Donna Krupa at dkrupa@the-aps.org or call her at 301-634-7209. |
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APS-Sponsored Fellow Relocates to ‘Fourth Estate’ |
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AAAS Mass Media Fellow Katherine Leitzell
successfully completed her 10-week assignment at US News & World Report in
Washington, D.C. this past summer. The Mass Media Fellowships are sponsored
by various scientific societies and are meant to encourage communication of
science to the general public. Leitzell, who was sponsored by APS, has a
master’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Southern California (USC)
and is currently a freelance science writer. The following is a firsthand
account of her experiences at US News: When I arrived at the offices of US News & World Report on a Thursday morning last summer, I didn’t know what to expect. I had spent several days in a whirlwind orientation run by the AAAS, wandered around a bit in Washington D.C., and spent hours leafing through magazines. But all I’d heard from my editor was when to show up. I was on edge as I walked into the building, nervous about interviewing people, writing badly, or making a mistake. I’ve always loved reading and writing. I found that in my graduate program at USC, this was something of an anomaly. While other students dreaded and complained about written qualifying exams, those weeks spent in the library were a paradise for me. I jumped at chances to write review articles, to author a book chapter, and to write for the USC magazine. So when I saw that the AAAS sponsors a program for graduate students to test their skills as science writers, I jumped at the chance. By noon the first morning, I’d been assigned to report on three groundbreaking stem cell studies published simultaneously in Nature and Cell. My editor, Anne, asked me to work with one of the politics writers to put together a last-minute story for the next week’s magazine. No time for nerves, I called up the study leaders, emailed a developmental biologist I knew at USC, and carefully read through the articles. I quickly found that my nervousness was unfounded—even though I stumbled over my words when I first got on the phone, I was relatively well versed in the research, and knew enough of the basics to speak intelligently with the scientists. I worked with Chris Wilson to piece together the science and politics, and we ended up with a one-page story in the next week’s magazine. After those first days under deadline, I struggled to develop pithy story ideas that would resonate with US News readers. I discovered that the process of science writing is a tug-of-war between scientific accuracy, a magazine’s voice, and the readers’ desire to see something new and exciting. My editor turned down many of my ideas because they were too esoteric for our readers. Others were nixed because the science was too new. I quickly discovered that it wasn’t enough for a story to be interesting. It had to have a practical angle: Scientists discover a gene that could increase the risk of heart attack—so what? Here’s how you can prevent a heart attack—perfect. Over the course of the summer, I ended up writing on more topics than I could have imagined, given my perceived constraints. I wrote weekly for the website, and more occasionally for the print magazine. I researched diets, diseases, and genes. I began exploring the FDA, the EPA, and the Surgeon General’s office. I discovered an interest in women’s reproductive health, and wrote on birth control, emergency contraceptives, and pregnancy. I even began exploring some of the clinical research behind alternative medicine. As I explored these topics, I began to understand why scientists so often complain about the quality of science writing. Only a few of my colleagues at US News had any background in science, yet they were asked every day to explain and interpret medical studies for the general public. Even when you understand something well, it’s difficult to include all the nuances in less than 500 words. There’s a reason that scientific prose is so jargon-filled, and that is because jargon is very exact. One of the best things about working as a journalist this summer was the ability to get anyone on the phone. I had a license to ask both stupid and difficult questions, and whether I was talking to a busy doctor or a famous scientist, they were usually incredibly patient and very friendly. As a graduate student, I’d often been too nervous to pipe up with questions during lectures, fearing that I’d sound stupid. After talking with so many scientists in plain English, I no longer have that fear. They assume from the get-go that I know nothing, and if I prove them wrong, they’re pleased. By the end of the summer, I’d made the decision to plunge headfirst into science journalism. I’m now living in Colorado, writing part-time for a regional magazine while continuing to freelance on health and science for US News & World Report. I’m also taking advantage of my background to write about science for Scientific American Mind and Backpacker Magazines. It’s a challenge to work as a freelancer, but unlike being a graduate student, the more work I do, the more I get paid. |
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