#SciWri19 Meeting Preview ...... REPORTING ON

SUMMER/FALL 2019 SUMMER/FALL Government CLIMATE CHANGE Access The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Standards ...... Amplify the Signal Recap Public information officers! Do more with your free EurekAlert! registration:

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IN THIS ISSUE SUMMER/FALL 2019 14 Reporting on Climate Change: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Freelance journalist Ann Parson speaks with WCAI Science Editor Heather Goldstone on how to best frame urgency versus context when writing about climate change. 17 Database of Women Scientists is Diversifying the Face of Science PIO Mark Couch at University of Colorado highlights a grassroots effort 5 curating an online database of female experts as a resource for conference planners and reporters. 18 Amplify the Signal: A Workshop on Reducing Noise PIO Diana Yates at University of Illinois reports on the recent Idea Grant-funded event where journalists and communicators discussed the ethics of story choice. 20 Looking Ahead to #SciWri19 at Penn State CASW Executive Director Rosalind Reid, NASW Programs Committee Chair Jill Adams, and Penn State PIO Erin Colbourn preview our October conference.

22 Communicating Science: Mind the rGap 20 Editor Stewart Wills of Optics & Photonics News explores the idea of “relational gaps” as an underlying divider of public perceptions over scientific issues.

03 NASW News 23 Member News NASW Releases Information Access Standards • NASW Joins New Societies Consortium Career Updates • Meet a New on Sexual Harassment in STEMM • Congratulations to the #WCSJ2019 Travel Fellows • Member • New and Returning NASW Diversity Fellows Announced • Science Writing by Storytelling • Undergraduate Members • We Remember Travel Fellows Report Back • $25k Awarded in NASW Idea Grants in 2019 28 Advance Copy 08 NASW Business 10 Member Benefits 31 Regional Groups 09 NASW Contacts 12 CASW Corner 36 SciWriLife

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE WRITERS Established in 1934, NASW fosters the dissemination of accurate information regarding science by supporting the professional development of science writers. Membership is open to working journalists, PIOs, writers, authors, and other content creators, as well as students. Our community spans freelancers and employees working at newspapers, wire services, magazines, radio and television, and digital properties, as well as universities, agencies, and other institutions across the United States and beyond. Above all, NASW fights for the free flow of science news.

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 1 FROM THE PRESIDENT NASW has been a welcoming professional National Association of home to me since the day I stepped off a Science Writers Est. 1934 train in Philadelphia to attend my first NASW P.O. Box 7905, Berkeley, CA 94707 meeting two decades ago. The relationships and 510-647-9500 • www.nasw.org insights I’ve gained through my membership in this community have profoundly enriched Executive Director Tinsley Davis, [email protected] my career. That’s why one of my biggest priorities during my time on the NASW Board of President Directors has been to find ways to ensure that Siri Carpenter, The Open Notebook our community is as welcoming to all as it has Vice President been to me. Jill Adams, Freelance Treasurer In any organization, supporting diversity and inclusion takes many forms. Alexandra Witze, Freelance Science Journalist Some outcomes, such as fostering participation of underrepresented groups as conference speakers, can be measured directly and some, such as reviewing Secretary Sandeep Ravindran, Freelance policies and procedures to support inclusion, are less readily measured and yet critically important. ScienceWritersTM Est. 1952 In March, several board members joined forces with the Diversity Committee Summer/Fall 2019 Vol. 68, No. 2 to continue exploring practices and policies that NASW could adopt to support diversity and inclusion, building on existing programmatic efforts such as Editor Sarah Nightingale the diversity fellowship. These volunteers are researching best practices for enhancing diversity and inclusion within membership organizations and have Editorial Advisory Group reached out to NASW committees and other journalism organizations for Jill Adams • Pakinam Amer • Emily Anthes feedback. They’re considering steps NASW could take in the many areas we • Teresa Carey • Jennifer Cox • Jyoti Madhusoodanan • A’ndrea Messer • Whitney touch: our meetings, events we fund, communications, committee makeup and McKnight Fishburn • Ben Panko • Pat Quigley processes, education programs, member recruitment, nominations processes, • Czerne Reid • Emily Willingham • Alexandra awards, and new program development. Witze • Ashley Yeager One essential component of supporting diversity and inclusion is creating a Proofreader respectful, harassment-free environment. In 2017, our newly formed Governance Rosalind Reid Committee developed our Conference and Meeting Code of Conduct. This Design, Layout, and Art Direction year, NASW became an inaugural member of the Societies Consortium on Ben Young Landis, Creative Externalities Sexual Harassment in STEMM (story, page 4) whose mission is to advance Guy Rogers, Spark Creative Design professional and ethical conduct, climate, and culture. In addition to sharing the Advertising conviction that professional excellence is stymied by harassment, members of Sarah Nightingale the consortium work together to develop resources for policy development. [email protected]

This winter, the board asked the Governance Committee to review Article VII of NASW Policy Siri Carpenter the NASW bylaws, which covers membership sanctions and termination. Our [email protected] goal is to put before the membership for consideration a process in which lack of confidentiality or fear of retaliation do not inadvertently suppress incident Editorial Submissions reporting. These policy details, needed to effectively put our values into practice, Sarah Nightingale [email protected] may look like internal squabbling — but it is these very details that reflect who we are and what we value as an organization. I invite you to add your voice to Library/Institutional subscription the conversation. $90 per year

NASW President Siri Carpenter, The Open Notebook @ScienceWriters [email protected] facebook.com/sciwri

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Copyright © 2019 National Association of Science Writers, Inc. The articles and columns published in ScienceWriters express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the institutions they represent nor of NASW. No portion of ScienceWriters may be reproduced in whole or in part without specific permission of the individual authors or permission of the copyright owners. Contact the editor for more information. ScienceWriters is produced by NASW with financial support from the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. ScienceWriters is printed in the U.S.A. on recycled, biodegradable paper.

2 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters NASW NEWS

NASW Releases Information Access Standards

Science journalists and public information board, edited and refined the guidelines for officers (PIOs) share a common goal: adoption by NASW. to inform the public about science and The Information Access Standards research. Often, however, they end up in include best practices for PIOs and the opposition, with journalists requesting agencies they represent, journalists, and more information and access to sources for communications between journalists than PIOs give. and PIOs. NASW supports their use at To bridge that gap, NASW has released a set federal agencies as well as other types of Information Access Standards to guide of institutions, including state and local interactions between journalists and PIOs agencies, corporations, universities, and and sources at federal science agencies. nonprofits. The guidelines foster the transparent and Siri Carpenter, NASW president, said the open exchange of information about science guidelines represent the willingness of and technology generated, funded, or used NASW members to unite in championing the by government entities. Journalists are organization’s mission of supporting the free encouraged to refer to them when having flow of science news. difficulty gaining access to sources or information; PIOs are encouraged to refer to “The guidelines, like the summit they arose of Gabriel Popkin Courtesy them to support efforts to provide greater out of, sprang from discussions among a access to agency sources and information. group of members — the Information Access This exchange relies They are publicly accessible at nasw.org. Committee. The project was set up with the intent of open and inclusive dialogue and fundamentally on “Our work advances the people’s right to commitment to collaboration, and that’s “journalists having know about how the government operates, exactly what happened,” Carpenter said. so they can make informed decisions open and unrestricted for themselves, their families and their Share this story online communities,” said Maryland-based science bit.ly/sw19sum01 access to government writer Gabriel Popkin (pictured), who led Access the Standards sources.” the effort as chair ofNASW’s Information bit.ly/sw19sum02 Access Committee. “This exchange relies — Gabriel Popkin fundamentally on journalists having open and unrestricted access to government sources.” Approved by NASW’s board on March 3, the Information Access Standards are Welcome to the Redesigned ScienceWriters Magazine the outcome of an Information Access Summit held in October in Washington, The new ScienceWriters is here! We’ve taken your wishlist and created D.C., just after theScienceWriters2018 a new layout that is equal parts news wire, business journal, and meeting. During the summit, journalists alumni magazine. Familiar departments like Advance Copy and and PIOs convened to share their needs, Regional Groups are still here — now in vibrant color along with the experiences and constraints, and to hear rest of the magazine. New sections like Member Benefits provide from the wider NASW community. Over the convenient reminders of NASW resources available at your fingertips, next few months, the committee, with help while SciWriLife shares trusted tools of the trade as told by our from summit participants and the NASW colleagues. Flip through the pages and give it a spin — we hope you enjoy it.

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 3 NASW Joins New Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM Together with other leading academic and professional societies, this February NASW became one of 53 inaugural members of the Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine). The establishment of the Societies Consortium reflects a shared understanding “This consortium provides both leadership that professional societies have a unique for a broad diversity of our societies’ responsibility in their role as standard- collective voices and actions to advance setters for STEMM fields to address the ethics, equity, inclusion, and excellence in pervasive problem of sexual and gender STEMM research, education, and practice,” harassment. The new consortium was said Shirley Malcom, senior advisor at AAAS. announced at a panel session held during Adapted from press release published online the AAAS Annual Meeting on February 15, February 15, 2019 by AAAS. 2019, in Washington, D.C. The Societies Consortium was established Read the AAAS press release bit.ly/sw19sum03 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Visit the Consortium homepage bit.ly/sw19sum04 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the American Geophysical Union (AGU), with EducationCounsel serving as the policy and law consultant for the initiative. It includes member societies representing disciplines across STEMM and continues to welcome others. Ben Young Landis Ben Young

Congratulations to the #WCSJ2019 Travel Fellows Ten science writers from the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean received travel fellowships to this year’s 11th World Conference of Science Journalists in Lausanne, Switzerland. One fellowship, awarded to Paul Nicolaus, Nine of the travel fellowships are David Freelance, USA, is a Laura Van Dam Perlman fellowships, honoring the fellowship, funded by NASW since 2007 and longtime San Francisco Chronicle science awarded in memory of past president Laura reporter, and are supported by the Van Dam, who died in 2006. Laura was a International Program Fund created strong supporter of NASW’s commitment to by NASW and CASW with proceeds international science writing. from WCSJ2017. They are: Will Beaton, These fellowships, which are administered Sandbagger News, USA; Florencia and selected by the WCSJ2019 organizers, Ballarino, Perfil, Argentina; Barbara Fraser, encourage continued American participation Freelance, USA; Geoffrey Giller, Freelance, in the world community and enable writers USA; Kelsey Harper, Sandbagger News, to pursue story opportunities abroad at a USA; Kendall Powell, Freelance, USA; Irene time when travel budgets are tight for many. Rodríguez Salas, La Nación, Costa Rica; They are among 100 fellowships awarded to John Wendle, Freelance, USA; Carolyn recipients in 53 countries and selected from Wilke, Freelance, USA. more than 600 applicants worldwide.

Share this story online bit.ly/sw19sum05 Courtesty of WCSJ 2019 of WCSJ Courtesty

4 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters One of my main goals as “a science journalist is to contribute to a more diverse writing community — and I’m excited to continue covering underrepresented groups moving forward.” — Helen Santoro

intern at High Country News on their West- and Philip Yam — for their time and help in NASW Diversity North desk, covering stories from Alaska, selecting the awardees. Fellowship the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern The fellowship is part of ongoing efforts by Rockies. Varanasi is a graduate student in NASW’s Diversity Committee to address the Recipients Columbia University’s Science, Environment, lack of minorities in science journalism. The and Medical Journalism graduate program committee has also teamed up with The and will intern at The State of the Planet Announced Open Notebook to launch a series dedicated blog, run by the university’s Earth Institute. to bringing greater visibility to journalists NASW’s Diversity Committee has All three selectees were lauded by judges announced Rodrigo Pérez Ortega (pictured, from underrepresented communities and for their exceptional writing abilities and to issues of special relevance to those center), Helen Santoro (right), and compelling personal stories. Anuradha Varanasi (left) as recipients of communities. Courtesty of Anuradha Varanasi/Carlos Antonio Sánchez/Ky Hamilton Sánchez/Ky Antonio Varanasi/Carlos of Anuradha Courtesty our 2019 Diversity Fellowships. As fellows, NASW’s Diversity Committee conceived The largest organization devoted to the Pérez Ortega, Santoro and Varanasi will each the fellowship out of the recognition that professional interests of science writers, receive $5,000 to help defray relocation and making ends meet on an intern’s salary NASW is a community of more than 2,300 living costs associated with completing a can be hard. Now in its third year, and journalists, authors, editors, producers, summer internship. Each will also receive a with an expanded number of awards, the public information officers, students, and one-year membership to NASW. fellowship is designed to supplement people who write and produce material summer internship stipends and thereby This year’s fellows were selected from a intended to inform the public about science, lower a key barrier to entering the health, engineering, and technology. deep and talented pool of applicants. Pérez science journalism profession. Fellowship Ortega is a graduate student in UC Santa applications were open to any member of Share this story online Cruz’s Science Communication program and an underrepresented group who intended bit.ly/sw19sum06 will intern at Inside Science, a science news to complete a science journalism internship service run out of the American Institute of this summer. Special thanks go to this year’s Physics. Santoro is also a graduate student judges — Nsikan Akpan, Mollie Bloudoff- in the UC Santa Cruz program and will Indelicato, Roberta Kwok, Kelly Tyrrell,

Science Writing by Storytelling

The Science Writing by Storytelling Helmuth, science, health and environment Master Class took place February 18-19, editor at The Washington Post; and David 2019, following the AAAS meeting in Malakoff. These presenters then led small Washington, D.C. Organized by Elizabeth group discussions with participants. Science Pennisi, senior correspondent at , The second day comprised presentations and David Malakoff, deputy news editor by three writer-editor pairs about their work Science at , the workshop was supported by on narrative pieces, followed by a session on a Peggy Girshman Idea Grant from NASW. resources and a wrap-up discussion Twenty-one writers attended. with Malakoff. The first day of the workshop included presentations by: Steve Hall, a freelancer Access workshop resources bit.ly/sw19sum07 and science-writing teacher at NYU; Cathy of NASW Courtesy Alter, a freelancer and narrative nonfiction Top: Laura Helmuth. Bottom: Siri Carpenter, teacher for Johns Hopkins; Siri Carpenter, David Malakoff, Laura Helmuth. editor of The Open Notebook; Laura

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 5 Siri Carpenter Ashley Yeager

Above: NASW Undergraduate Travel Fellows attending the 2019 AAAS Annual Meeting. Starting from left: Taylor White, Suffolk University; Jodie Lunger, University of Toronto; Elizabeth Ladyzhets, Barnard College; Mary-Elizabeth Jobson, University of Florida; Ana Flores, St. Edward’s University; Marisa Sloan, University of North Carolina-Greensboro; Adam Peasley, Austin Community College; Shelby Condit, Colorado State University; Courtney Adams, Texas A&M University; Shelby Whitehead, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Upper Right: NASW Member Kasha Patel spoke at the Travel Fellows orientation. Lower Right: NASW

Member and former Undergrad Travel Fellow Rachel Butch hosted the internship fair booth for Johns Butch Rachel Hopkins Medicine.

Undergraduate Travel Fellows Report Back from AAAS Annual Meeting

Ten students from across the U.S. and Canada Fellows were paired with NASW volunteer won NASW Undergraduate Travel Fellowships mentors and treated to a specially designed to attend the 2019 American Association for orientation, during which they heard a talk the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual by Kasha Patel, a science comedian and meeting in Washington, D.C. in February. NASA science writer. Students also had the opportunity to meet editors from top news This year’s fellows are: Courtney Adams, and science writing outlets during the NASW Texas A&M University; Shelby Condit, Internship Fair, coordinated by a Colorado State University; Ana Flores, St. Erik Vance, freelance science writer. Recruiters included Edward’s University; Mary-Elizabeth Jobson, NPR, The Washington Post, Nature, Science University of Florida; Elizabeth Ladyzhets, News, Chemical & Engineering News, Audubon, Barnard College; Jodie Lunger, University of Fermilab, Cell Press/Elsevier, and others. Toronto; Adam Peasley, Austin Community College; Marisa Sloan, University of North The NASW Education Committee, Undergraduate Travel Carolina–Greensboro; Taylor White, Suffolk co-chaired by Czerne Reid, a lecturer at the Fellows Get New Mascot University; Shelby Whitehead, University University of Florida, and Ashley Yeager, an of Tennessee, Knoxville. Academic majors associate editor at The Scientist, selected A porcupine armed with a quill represented in this year’s class include the fellows from a competitive and diverse proved irresistible as the NASW biology, journalism, chemistry, microbiology pool of applicants. Since 2007, the program Undergraduate Travel Fellows and cell science, biomedical sciences and has supported 127 students, helping launch new mascot. NASW members, pharmacology. careers at the New York Times, The Atlantic, travel fellows and program and other places. alumni voted online and in The fellows covered a variety of scientific person at the AAAS meeting. sessions and wrote related news stories for Share this story online With 59 percent of the vote, publication on the NASW website. bit.ly/sw19sum08 the Quills bested the Travel Read the Fellows’ coverage Trilobites with 33 percent and bit.ly/sw19sum09 the Buckyballs with 8 percent.

6 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters $25k Awarded in NASW Idea Grants in 2019

Science journalists are used to being research news at Michigan Technological scooped when it comes to reporting on the University; and Phil Weaver-Stoesz, a theater latest lawsuits involving Monsanto, Pfizer, director and performing arts educator. improv or the FDA. That’s because automated The trio received $4,900 to develop and research services that lawyers use to flag run a two-day, intensive workshop using for interesting cases are cost prohibitive to all improv — live performance in which the but the largest media outlets. plot, characters, dialogue, and movements science To change that, Charles Seife, a develop in the moment — to help science journalist, author and professor at New writers become better storytellers. The York University, is building LegalEye, an workshop (www.sciwriimprov.com) was writers automated research service that will help held August 3-4 in Santa Fe with a condensed journalists find new lawsuits that are version on offer at ScienceWriters2019 in relevant to their beats and notify them of State College, Pennsylvania. www.sciwriimprov.com developments in interesting cases. “This is an opportunity for science writers Once developed, the tool will be offered free to get out of our critical, intensely focused to NASW members and at a low cost to other brains by using movement, storytelling, and journalists. Seife expects to launch the tool voice in creative ways, learn to read others’ to a limited number of users by the end of body language for better communication, This idea fermented and grew 2019 with a full launch by April 2020. and find ways to confidently interact with “ into a proposal because of “This service will make the federal unexpected material on the fly,” Mast said. conversations I got to have at court system much more transparent to A third award this year went to Diana social mixers and bus rides at journalists,” Seife said. “No longer will we Crow, a freelance science writer, and Anne be dependent on a tipoff from a litigant Berlin, a digital strategist, to expand The ScienceWriters over the years. or on one of the bigger publications with Best Shortform Science Writing Project And being from opposite ends access to Bloomberg or LexisNexis breaking (SciShortform), an all-volunteer initiative the news of a new filing. We’ll be able to do that highlights excellent shortform science of the country (New Mexico it ourselves for very little cost.” writing by publishing quarterly round-ups and Michigan), Katie and I Seife’s project is supported by an $18,000 on Medium. Their $2,200 grant will enable them to increase their visibility and refresh could only meet and talk at Peggy Girshman Idea Grant from NASW. Idea Grants support projects and programs their branding, recruit a core group of these annual meetings — so committed volunteers, and expand into that help science writers in their professional our collaboration today is lives and/or advance the field of science publishing Medium posts on the craft of writing. The grants range from $1,000 short science writing. definitely NASW networking at to $25,000 with selection of successful “Since most early-career science writers its best!” proposals by NASW’s Grants Committee. write primarily in shortform genres, it is Since the program’s inception in 2010, NASW especially important to provide aspirational — Allison Mills has funded more than 140 projects totaling examples of these science writing forms. close to $500,000. However, the overwhelming majority of Share the LegalEye story bit.ly/sw19sum10 Also funded this year was a proposal by science writing awards honor longform writing and multimedia,” Crow said. Share the Improv story Katherine Mast, a writer and editor for the bit.ly/sw19sum11 Santa Fe Institute and freelance science Share the SciShortform story writer; Allison Mills, associate director of bit.ly/sw19sum12

About the NASW Peggy Austin Science Writers workshops hosted The University of Arizona workshop “With in 2019 to foster a network of science Conviction: Reporting on Science in the Girshman Idea Grants communicators in central Texas and to Courtroom” hosted in 2015. The Peggy Girshman Idea Grant owes its connect area scientists with science media. creation to the NASW Grants Committee, A one-day Bioethics Bootcamp workshop whose members crafted from scratch a Funds to complete The ScienceWriters’ hosted by SWINY, The Hastings Center and program where science writers could find Investigative Reporting Handbook the City University of New York Graduate creative ways to serve and enrich the published by Liza Gross in 2018. School of Journalism in 2012. professional development of their colleagues. funded Examples of past awarded grants: HBSciU Science Writing Fellowship See list of past grants in 2016 to support students attending HBCUs. bit.ly/sw19sum13 Amplify the Signal workshop hosted in A two-day regional conference “Measure Search the hashtag 2019 to help PIOs and science journalists twitter.com/hashtag/SciWriGrants better understand and evaluate the studies Globally, Respond Locally: The Business they write about. (Story, page 18) and Science of Climate in the Southern Appalachians” hosted in 2016.

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 7 NASW BUSINESS

From the Director In the early part of my pre-NASW scicomm career, I filled out some sort of evaluation called a change-ready profile and was promptly told I had failed. My own perfectionist tendencies (“What? I failed a test?”) aside, it’s true that change is something that I have to consciously work on inviting and embracing. ScienceWriters magazine’s new look is a change that I can wholeheartedly celebrate as a point along the timeline of NASW’s growth. It was only ten years ago that our previous and long-time design firm Carol Kerr Graphic Design took us from a Manila paper newsletter to our first quarterly color magazine under the creative and watchful eye of Lynne Friedmann. This redesign is equally exciting. Member surveys in 2017-2018 revealed that while 63 percent of members desired the addition Like pretty much of a digital newsletter to NASW’s offerings, a healthy 37 percent preferred print and 60 everything else in NASW, percent opt in to postal delivery of the magazine. With the goal of increasing digital member “ communications and reducing NASW’s carbon footprint while still honoring your desire for most of the words you see print, we’ve added a monthly e-newsletter “Desk Notes,” moved to two annual issues of ScienceWriters, and rolled our print and digital editors into one role. Under the direction of in these pages are written editor Sarah Nightingale and Creative Externalities, the design firm of Ben Young Landis, two talented, enthusiastic and creative NASW members, we’ve responded to member by volunteers.” feedback and tried to put forth a semiannual magazine that recasts your favorite columns and — Tinsley Davis elements, like Regional Groups and Advance Copy, and adds new types of content, including more longform stories and a glimpse into our members’ workspaces. I see change as one of many opportunities to express gratitude. To Lynne and designers Carol Kerr and Jennifer Buckner, thank you for your years of service, the heart you brought to the process, and the high standards you have set for ScienceWriters. To the board and communications subcommittee of Siri Carpenter, Jennifer Cox, Kendall Powell, Matt Shipman, and John Travis and led by Kathryn Jepsen that set the stage for this moment with intense brainstorming and planning sessions back in the spring of 2018, thank you for your vision and confidence. To Sarah and designers Ben Landis and Guy Rogers, thank you for your diligence, enthusiasm, and passionate devotion to not just the design but to NASW and all we hope to be. To the members who contributed content, thank you for giving your time and words so generously; like pretty much everything else in NASW, most of the words you see in these pages are written by volunteers. Finally, thank you to all the members who filled out surveys and contributed your ideas and who are reading now. Tag us on social media @ScienceWriters and stay in touch with Sarah Nightingale via [email protected]

Tinsley Davis has served as NASW executive director since 2009, after joining the leadership as associate executive director in 2007. An NASW Member since 2001, she has previously written for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, PNAS, and the Museum of Science, Boston. Contact Tinsley at [email protected]

8 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters Get To Know: NASW Contacts The PIO Committee NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE WRITERS, INC. Each issue, we feature one of NASW’s many P.O. Box 7905, Berkeley, CA 94707 volunteer-led committees as a refresher on 510-647-9500 • www.nasw.org their role and ongoing efforts on behalf of our member community. Here, we speak with Kelly Tyrrell, co-chair of the PIO TEAM BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE Committee. Executive Director Jennifer Cutraro What does the PIO Committee do? Tinsley Davis [email protected] The PIO Committee supports public [email protected] Science Storytellers, Freelance information officers across the U.S. — at Digital and Print Editor Lila Guterman universities, government agencies, journals, Sarah Nightingale [email protected] science foundations and more. We aim to [email protected] Science provide professional resources, professional development opportunities, and community Social Media Engagement Editor Kathryn Jepsen for NASW’s PIO members. We teleconference Ben Young Landis [email protected] throughout the year and, in collaboration [email protected] Symmetry with NASW leadership, work to address the needs and desires of PIOs. Cybrarian Seth Mnookin Russell Clemings [email protected] What are some examples of your recent [email protected] MIT discussions and initiatives? Kendall Powell The PIO Committee is working to create [email protected] more opportunities and resources for public OFFICERS information officers in NASW. We recently Freelance President began offering to vet annual meeting Hillary Rosner proposals to help improve their quality Siri Carpenter [email protected] [email protected] and increase the number of PIO-relevant Freelance sessions offered each year. We helped Freelance create the Excellence in Institutional Writing Vice President Jill Sakai Awards, now in their second year. And Jill Adams [email protected] we are also working now to create Best [email protected] Freelance Practices Guidelines for PIOs, to help provide Freelance Matt Shipman a professional resource for members all over the country. Treasurer [email protected] Alexandra Witze North Carolina State University Who should volunteer for the PIO [email protected] Cassandra Willyard

Committee, and why? Nature, Science News [email protected] All PIOs in NASW are encouraged to volunteer for the committee, especially those with Secretary Freelance unique or underrepresented perspectives. We Sandeep Ravindran Sarah Zielinski serve the broader PIO member community [email protected] [email protected] within the organization and want to provide Freelance Science News for Students all we can as volunteers. There is always work to do and the right volunteers are those willing to raise their hands and get to it. We welcome new ideas. COMMITTEES

Kelly Tyrrell is co-chair of Awards • Diversity • Education • Fairness • Finance and Audit • the NASW PIO Committee Freelance • Governance • Grants • Journalism • and a senior science Information Access • International • Internet • writer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She Membership • Nominating • PIO • Programs has previously written for the Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Complete committee list and contact information and The News Journal available at www.nasw.org (Delaware). Contact Kelly at kelly.tyrrell@ wisc.edu, or reach her co-chair, Michael Newman, Johns Hopkins Medicine, at [email protected]

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 9 MEMBER BENEFITS

Come Find Your Professional Community Founded by science writers and governed by science writers, NASW exists to support its members through advancing their craft and careers. As NASW members, students and professionals can receive discounts for events and services, newsroom privileges, exclusive job listings, scientific journals access, and more. Most importantly, they join a wide network of 2,000-plus journalists, PIOs, writers, and other colleagues — each bringing their diverse talents and experiences to share with our community.

Secure Newsroom Registration: Your Benefit Updates NASW Member Card may be accepted for Several new discounts for NASW members credentialed access at select conferences, QUICK LINKS TO MEMBER have been announced since our last including the AAAS Annual Meeting RESOURCES print edition. Access instructions here: (additional criteria may vary by event). MEMBER DIRECTORY www.nasw.org/memberdiscounts Scout New Talent: Meet promising (Member log-in required). www.nasw.org/member-directory undergraduate and graduate student science New to town? Find colleagues Scrivener: NASW members can receive writers through our mentorship programs in your area. a discount of 20% on the purchase of a and internship fairs hosted at ScienceWriters standard license for Scrivener for macOS or and at AAAS Annual Meetings. JOBS BANK Windows. Search Jobs and Grants: Search our www.nasw.org/job Find freelance and full-time JSTOR: NASW members can receive 25% off exclusive databases for staff jobs, freelance opportunities. a yearly JPASS. Included is reading access assignments, reporting grants, training to some 2,000 journals (full publication runs fellowships, and awards for science writers. WORDS’ WORTH minus the most recent issues) and 120 PDF Find Freelancer Resources: NASW members www.nasw.org/words-worth downloads within the year. and committees curate resources created Freelancers share client experiences. CUNY J+ Workshops: Discount registration just for independent science writers and for J+ workshops at the CUNY Newmark found nowhere else. Get insights on fair THE FINE PRINT Graduate School of Journalism are now compensation via our tipsheet and freelancer www.nasw.org/contracts available to NASW members. survey report. Browse real contracts Browse examples of writing submitted by other writers in The Fine Print contracts. to improve your own. Read client reviews by FUNDING DATABASE Know Your Benefits freelancers via our forum. Words’ Worth www.nasw.org/funding Get the most out of your membership. These Get Journal Access: Search journal Search for grants, fellowships, extensive resources are the result of decades databases and download scientific articles and awards. of effort and initiative on the part of NASW for free, including those published by members who volunteer for committee Elsevier ScienceDirect, Wiley Online MEMBER DISCOUNTS service and board leadership. Library, Annual Reviews, Cochrane www.nasw.org/memberdiscounts Attend Our Annual Meeting: Connect with Library, and American Physical Society. Unlock savings for writing tools. your peers at our yearly ScienceWriters Access Discounts: NASW members can conference with your discounted JOURNAL RESOURCES submit entries for our Science in Society www.nasw.org/journal-resources- registration. Attend workshops, panel Awards and Excellence in Institutional nasw-members discussions, and pitch slams organized Science Writing Awards for free. NASW Access and download by your fellow NASW members. Celebrate members also receive discounted access to scientific articles. successes with new friends and longtime the biennial World Conference of Science colleagues — and network your way towards Journalists and discounted dues towards HOW TO JOIN new careers and collaborations. the National Writers Union. www.nasw.org/join Help recruit new members.

10 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters NASW Email Alias Explained

Time flies. site looks genuine, you might log in anyway. And suddenly, somebody, It’s been more than 24 years since NASW’s internet presence was somewhere in the world has your Chase username and password. established. The NASW.org domain was registered on March 9, 1995. DMARC is designed to head off exactly that kind of “phishing” attack. A lot has changed since then. In 1995, Google did not exist. (It was Chase has adopted it (see https://bit.ly/2UYiqld for the evidence) founded Sept. 4, 1998.) Amazon was less than a year old and sold and it works. If a mail purporting to be from chase.com doesn’t come only books. And the online world was a more trusting place. from a Chase server, Chase’s DMARC record tells your email provider not to accept it. For one thing, junk email — spam — was rare. And defenses against it were minimal to nonexistent. So, way back then, when NASW decided So far so good. Now, what happens if Chase sends its notice to your to offer email aliases to its members, it’s likely that no one imagined nasw.org alias? Well, our server at nasw.org accepts it, and then how complicated that could get. re-sends it to your email provider. Your provider checks to see if Chase has a DMARC record. It does. It then checks to see if the mail Fast forward to now. Spam makes up about 45 percent of all email was sent by a Chase server. But it wasn’t. It was sent by the nasw.org sent worldwide. Fortunately, most of it is silently discarded before server. So your email provider follows Chase’s instructions and rejects it ever reaches its intended recipient. Unfortunately, some of that it. And, more often than not, you’ll never know that it happened. discard email might be mail you actually want to see. And that’s a problem that can especially affect mail sent to your nasw.org alias. The lesson is this: Be careful about using your nasw.org alias as the contact for any important institutional email. If you do, don’t be The reason is something called DMARC, which stands for “Domain- surprised if you never get those emails. based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance.” You can read more at https://dmarc.org/ but the essential point is this: In Just another sign of how much has changed since 1995. some cases, DMARC allows the sender of an email to block it from being forwarded. Say your bank account sends you an email informing you that your monthly statement is now available, and that email includes a link to view your new statement. How do you know whether that link actually goes to your bank’s site? SEND QUESTIONS ON EMAIL AND OTHER Well, if you’re a careful internet user, you might notice that the link takes NASW DIGITAL SERVICES TO RUSSELL you to https://www.chase.ua instead of https://www.chase.com and CLEMINGS AT [email protected] not go any further. But if you don’t notice the discrepancy, and the fake

Tax Tips for Driving and Dining on the Job The IRS does impose some restrictions on deductions for business driving. For instance, fees people pay to park their cars at their place of Freelancers need to be savvy about tax deductions if they’re going to work are nondeductible commuting expenses. Another limitation is on make a profit. Here, longtime ScienceWriters columnist Julian Block deductions for costs incurred to travel between home and work. Such sheds some light on deductions NASW members can take when they costs aren’t converted from nondeductible commuting to deductible drive or entertain on the job. medical travel merely because illness or disability rules out using public transportation. Internal Revenue Service auditors relax the rules when they scrutinize At the close of 2017, Congress passed and President Trump signed deductions for car expenses. They don’t require taxpayers to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation curtails or ends a lengthy substantiate their actual expenditures. Instead, auditors will accept list of long-cherished write-offs, including a provision that abolishes write-offs based on standard mileage rates, provided taxpayers are the 50 percent deduction for entertainment expenses, such as able to provide evidence of the miles driven. tickets to sporting events. But it kept the 50 percent deduction for There are three kinds of rates. One is for business driving, as when business meals. NASW members drive to attend annual conferences or chapter How does the Internal Revenue Service sort things sort out when programs or to meet with publishers. The other two are for individuals those events include meals — for instance, drinks and sandwiches? It who drive to obtain medical care or to perform chores for charitable okays write-offs for the meals, provided the charges for noshing are organizations like schools, churches and hospitals. separately stated from the charges for tickets. The per-mile rates for business and medical driving change each year. 2019’s rates are 58 cents for business and 20 cents for medical, up from Julian Block is an attorney and author based in Larchmont, NY. 2018’s 54.5 for business and 18 for medical. There’s no change in the Information about his books is at julianblocktaxexpert.com. Disclaimer: rate of 14 cents for charitable driving. It’s fixed by law. This is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended I remind clients who do business, medical or charitable driving that to substitute for obtaining accounting, tax, or financial advice from a it’s important for them to keep glove-compartment diaries or other professional adviser with knowledge specific to your situation. records that list the details of when, how far and why they went. Their deductible expenses also include outlays for parking and tolls.

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 11 CASW CORNER

A Council for the Advancement of Science Writing Established in 1960 as an independent, educational nonprofit organization, CASW develops and funds programs and awards to help writers produce accurate, informative stories with a goal of improving the quality and quantity of science news reaching the public. Together, NASW and CASW produce the annual ScienceWriters conference and support international activities through a joint International Program Fund, an offshoot of their successful cooperative hosting of the 10th World Conference of Science Journalists in 2017.

for independent reporting projects that CASW Elects New, come with the support of a senior journalist Returning Board — a previous Fellow — as mentor. The grants are designed to help early- Members career science journalists gain important Two newly elected members joined the CASW experience by organizing and executing Board of Directors at its annual meeting April freelance projects at a time when publishers 12: Celeste LeCompte of ProPublica and are rarely able to cover the full cost of field Bill Kearney of the National Academies of reporting. Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The 2019 Taylor/Blakeslee Mentored Project Re-elected as officers for 2019-20 were Fellows and their mentors are: Alan Boyle, president; Robin Lloyd, vice Susie Neilson, Project Fellow, and Phil Sylvia Kantor president; Richard Harris, treasurer; and McKenna, Mentor: Neilson, who earned Betsy Mason, secretary. her master’s degree in journalism from the Elected to new three-year terms were University of California, Berkeley in May, Thomas Lin, Tariq Malik, Robin Lloyd, Debbie proposed an environmental investigative Ponchner, Cristine Russell, Ken Trevett, and project called “A Toxic Bargain.” The grant Dan Vergano. will cover a reporting trip to talk with experts and community members to develop online Charlie Petit retired after 22 years on the and magazine articles. Neilson’s mentor board, including service as vice president, is environment and energy reporter Phil treasurer and secretary, and a member of McKenna, a 2005 Taylor/Blakeslee Fellow, the Organizing Committee for WCSJ2017. now part of an investigative team at InsideClimate News in Boston. Joshua Sokol, Project Fellow, and Bryn Paired Fellows Nelson, Mentor: Sokol, who was a 2014 Taylor/Blakeslee Fellow at MIT, plans a trip Selected for Mentored to scientific fieldwork sites in tropical Africa Science Journalism for “Birth of a Parasite,” a project exploring the evolution of a major infectious disease All photos courtesy of CASW courtesy All photos Project Grants vector. His mentor will be Seattle-based Top: Ros Reid and Alan Boyle honor Charlie Petit freelance biology writer Bryn Nelson, a 1998 Two recent Taylor/Blakeslee Graduate Taylor/Blakeslee Fellow. (center). Middle: New CASW Board Members Bill Fellows have been awarded CASW’s Kearney (left) and Celeste LeCompte.Bottom: first Taylor/Blakeslee Mentored Science Taylor/Blakeslee Fellows Susie Neilson (left) and Journalism Project Fellowships, small grants Joshua Sokol.

12 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters 2019-20 Taylor/Blakeslee Fellows Combine Passions for Science, Narrative, and a Better World

Six talented journalists with experience produced multimedia, and is a two-time in research, writing and policy have been winner of the Ferris Prize for Exceptional awarded prestigious Taylor/Blakeslee Journalism. University Fellowships for 2019-20 from the As Jonathan Wosen was completing the Council for the Advancement of Science research for his Ph.D. in immunology at Writing (CASW) to support graduate training in Stanford, he was struck by a realization that science writing. he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life at Four Fellows will each receive a $5,000 the bench. A two-week mini-course on science academic year award. Two more will receive communication strengthened an inner voice one-semester awards of $2,500, bringing to urging him to consider science journalism as 167 the number of science writers aided by a career. During a AAAS Mass Media Science CASW’s graduate fellowships since 1981. and Engineering Fellowship at the Boston- STAT Chosen for full fellowships from the field of 27 based biomedical news site , he realized outstanding applicants were: that science and journalism shared the search for truth as a core value. Wosen will join the Alexandra Matthews. After completing an master’s program in science communication undergraduate degree in sociology at UC at UC Santa Cruz after collecting his doctorate Berkeley, and serving with the Peace Corps this June. “I always figured I’d have to choose in Morocco, Matthews began reporting on science or journalism,” he says. “I’m glad I was politics for California’s Capitol Weekly. Drawn dead wrong.” to stories about science and health, she took on communications work for the Public Receiving half-fellowships for the final Library of Science and data collection for a semester of their master’s programs are: health study. She returned to Berkeley for a Marcus Banks. Trained in library and special dual degree program that combines information science, Banks reported on public health and journalism, she said, technology, libraries, and publishing because “I want my reporting to transcend issues between stints as a library manager the artificial boundaries between ‘hard’ and and director. In 2018, he entered New ‘social’ sciences.” York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program (SHERP) Jerimiah Oetting is entering the master’s program in science communication at the and faced the reality that much science University of California, Santa Cruz, after six coverage is shallow and lacking in critical years of working for the U.S. Forest Service reflection or distance. “I want to be a science and National Park Service on a range of writer who tells the story of science clearly conservation-based research projects. He and fully,” he says, adding that science focused on ecology in his undergraduate journalism “should always be grounded studies at the University of Minnesota in real people.” Banks is a graduate of while pursuing his interest in reporting and Northwestern and earned his library science writing at student newspapers. As a science master’s degree at Dominican University. journalist, Oetting hopes “to move the public Dani Leviss. As an undergraduate chemistry discussion away from its current overriding major at Drew University, Leviss was binary of pro-science/anti-science” and to editor-in-chief of the student newspaper “positively contribute toward a science- and discovered a love of editing. Leviss, an literate and informed world.” NASW member, is enrolled in NYU SHERP, where she is taking an audio storytelling Brett Simpson. When her father succumbed to a preventable infection in 2018, Simpson workshop and hopes to build a career that found herself powerfully motivated combines science editing and podcasting. to pursue health and environmental Her passions are to be a science and journalism. Effective science journalism, policymaking watchdog, to tell the stories she says, provides the explanations that of minority scientists, and to provide the help us understand our world and feel public with “well-reported, engaging stories more responsibility for it. She will enter the about the science in their lives.” All photos courtesy of CASW courtesy All photos narrative journalism master’s program at UC CASW’s graduate fellowships are underwritten Berkeley and report local science news as by a grant from The Brinson Foundation, a From Top: Alexandra Matthews, University of part of a small instructor-led cohort focusing Chicago-based philanthropic organization. California, Berkeley; Jerimiah Oetting, University on the intersections of public health and the They honor the late Rennie Taylor and Alton of California, Santa Cruz; Brett Simpson, University environment. Simpson holds a bachelor’s Blakeslee, science writer and science editor of California, Berkeley; Jonathan Wosen, University degree in English from Princeton. She has respectively for the Associated Press. of California, Santa Cruz; Marcus Banks, New York written for several California publications, University; Dani Leviss, New York University.

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 13 REPORTING ON CLIMATE CHANGE THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY By Ann Parson

Heather Goldstone, who is stationed at NPR affiliate WCAI in Woods Hole, Mass., was our guest last December at New Bedford Science Café. She and her weekly radio show, Living Lab Radio, have a strong following, and there was standing room only for her discussion of “Climate Change in the Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” In that talk, Heather spoke about the challenges of getting the American public on board with the scientific consensus regarding climate change. I caught up with Heather a few months later, on a rainy Monday in late April. On the drive over to Cape Cod, I tuned in to BBC, which began its news hour with two hard-hitting reports on the environment. One was that Indonesia had decided to move its capital to another location, on account of the bad flooding and sinking ground Jakarta was experiencing. A UN report followed, with the deeply disturbing news that one million species were at risk of extinction due largely to human activity. With those thoughts as a backdrop, we began our conversation. –Ann Parson AP: When you started the blog Climatide We don’t want to brush it off and say it’s no big AP: Journalists reporting breaking news often in 2010, you immersed yourself in climate deal. But we also know from psychology that are caught in the trap of being bad-news change research. Talk a little bit about that. emotions are unavoidable, and we can’t ignore messengers. Can that be avoided? them as journalists. We have to remember HG: I had this moment of realizing that I HG: Something I like to ask researchers who that we are writing for human beings who will thought I knew more than I actually did. I had are the bearers of bad news is where they find have emotional responses. In my experience, done a story about climate and fisheries, and hope or optimism. And I think that’s useful in many journalists like to think that all we have had gone into the interview with scientists a couple of ways. First, if you’re telling a story to do is put the facts out there and not worry at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center about that person and their research, you’re about something like messaging, or framing, expecting to hear about anticipated future keeping it in their character. This is where CLIMATE or how people might respond to it. That feels changes. Instead, they told me what had they find hope. And you can also ask them, is like spin, and that’s not our job. already changed over the past 45 years. there anything we can do about this? The problem is that it really is. Because They were looking at how populations of For example, Nathaniel Rich’s “Losing Earth” what the science shows is that if a story commercially exploited marine species had piece in the NY Times Magazine last year was evokes certain emotions, it can actually shifted, usually northward, in response to important and powerful. And everyone I talked impede a person’s ability to absorb the facts, temperature changes, and they had found to said it was really hard to read. We shouldn’t the information. Which emotions? Well, that already half of all commercially exploited avoid hard-to-take stories, but part of what overwhelming fear is paralyzing, and the marine species in New England waters had they were expressing was the overwhelming brain’s response to that, a pretty adaptive moved significantly over the past four or five fear and hopelessness the story evoked. Hope response, is to shut it out and ignore it. But if CHANGE decades. So that realization, that this was and empowerment are emotions that can you present the same facts framed with hope already a current problem and not a future open us back up, inspire and motivate. And and empowerment, then acceptance of the problem, and that I was living in this intense so, along with that powerful “Losing Earth” underlying facts is more likely. science town, Woods Hole, and didn’t realize narrative, I would love to have seen Part II, that was the case, that was really eye-opening “Saving Earth.” What can we still save? How? for me. Because the only reason to pay attention AP: So, the more you researched the state of to this problem of climate change — or any climate, and saw a real and present danger, the We have to problem, really — is if there’s something to more you wondered why the message wasn’t be done about it. Finding those nuggets — getting through to the public. And you went remember that what can be done about the problem — is so looking for answers from psychologists and important. social scientists. we are writing for AP: Your discussion last December was on HG: I realized it wasn’t so much the science “Climate Change in the Media; The Good, that presented a stumbling block but how human beings who the Bad, and the Ugly.” What does “The people took it in. I read many different studies, will have emotional Ugly” refer to? but there was one study in particular that stood HG: To me, the truly ugly is when the science out. Scientists at UC Berkeley had presented responses. is distorted in the name of journalistic college students — typical psychology lab balance. I think that’s been a shrinking part rats — with an article about climate change of the media landscape over the past decade that ended with either a dire warning or a or so. You saw a lot more of that in the solutions-oriented message. A double-blind AP: It’s often said that journalists are better at early 2000s, where, if you were saying that study. Then they measured belief in human- pointing out problems, even though negative scientists say climate change is humans’ fault, caused climate change and found that the news doesn’t get absorbed as well as positive you’d find one scientist willing to refute that. dire message created skepticism, while the news and solutions. Today, journalists doing it best have found optimistic message boosted acceptance of ways to acknowledge that dissenting views do HG: Journalists are way better at pointing out the science. It was one small study, but very exist but without giving them equal credibility problems than highlighting solutions, in part telling. There was something going on that with mainstream climate science. had to do with emotions and psychology. because when we get to the solutions space we have to start questioning, “Am I still being “The Bad” is focusing only on the bad news AP: At the science café, when you asked who objective? Am I telling people what to think? story, trying to scare people into action. The had seen news of climate change in the last Am I picking a side politically? Is this really psychologists say, a little bit of fear, maybe, three weeks, every hand shot up. Then you where I’m supposed to be as a journalist?” As but overwhelming fear — being hit over asked how many had seen hopeful climate- a journalist, it’s not my job to tell someone the head with the idea that our planet will change news, and only three hands went up. what they should do about climate change. But be uninhabitable — is a level of fear that is You believe a lot of the disconnect between I can tell them about a huge range of options, paralyzing. the science and the public at large comes and that can help them prioritize what they down to this same dichotomy. AP: Doesn’t the public need to hear some want to take on in respect to climate change. urgency? On the drive over, BBC News HG: Obviously climate change is a problem — This is part of the whole new burgeoning field reported that Indonesia was planning to probably the biggest humanity has ever faced. of solutions-based journalism. move its capital city because of the flooding

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 15 going on in Jakarta. There was an urgency I AP: What do people believe about climate personally responded to. change. What don’t they believe? To me, the truly HG: Absolutely. I just think that it has to HG: I think that’s really hard to know. Dan ugly is when the be done in a way that takes into account Kahan at Yale University studies “cultural how readers respond to it. It’s only urgent if cognition,” the idea that we filter factual science is distorted there is something to be done; if a situation information through social and psychological is totally hopeless, there’s no urgency. So, lenses — trust, life experiences, beliefs in in the name the story of Jakarta is a perfect example. You justice or independence. And, sometimes, that aren’t denying the direness of the situation, can lead to denial of factual information across of journalistic but telling a story of action. And the fact the political spectrum. You tend to see more that somebody has taken action and has anti-vaccine sentiment among self-identified balance. found a solution is, in and of itself, a story of liberals, more anti–climate change sentiment empowerment for other people. We don’t have among self-identified conservatives. It’s a to sit here and drown, we can do something! human brain phenomenon. HG: But at least now scientists have the ability to look at individual events. It’s called AP: Your title also refers to “Good” aspects of Anyway, Kahan, a few years ago at an AAAS attribution science, the ability to say, yes, media coverage. What examples come to mind? meeting, said that at this point when you ask this event, this heat wave was hotter and HG: Journalists, I think, are increasingly an American for their opinion about climate longer because of climate change, this storm working to find stories that connect people change or climate science, you no longer are produced more rain because of climate with their local environment, opening asking them what they know, you are asking change. They can run a computer weather people’s eyes. Because that’s a different story them who they are and to declare their model using current climate conditions and than the globe becoming, on average, 1.5 allegiances. Again, going deep into human those a century ago, and compare the results. degrees Celsius warmer than it used to be. As evolution, the who-are-you? and who-are- your-allies? is far more important than what- Still, it’s not about one rainy April. It’s about one climate scientist told me, no one lives a the fact that the Northeast has seen a 70 global average. We all live a local experience. do-you-know? So, people who know the facts may or may not espouse those facts, if it feels percent increase in extreme precipitation And so, finding ways to translate that big events. It’s the biggest change in extreme picture of global science into everyday local like they are breaking with deeply held views or community norms. precipitation anywhere in the country. It impacts is an important challenge, and not takes time to see that in a certain place. Part just for journalists but also for scientists. That AP: Climate change is so subtle, can’t that be of the challenge is that people relocate a lot, means telling climate stories about gardening, influencing what people believe, what they and if you’re not connected to the natural food, health, jobs, sports, travel … all of it. don’t believe? If it was a matter of an asteroid environment, it’s harder to see firsthand. speeding toward earth, and you could see the Also, I think some of the best journalism is AP: Americans largely believe climate change finding the voices that break the stereotypes. asteroid approaching with telescopes, no one would be questioning it. is happening, but we keep driving fossil-fuel On Living Lab Radio, we have talked with cars, eating meat, even buying oceanside the president of the Reinsurance Association HG: Yes, and I think, again, it comes back to properties. What other wake-up stories can of America about how insurers are handling psychology. We are much better as a species we tell? climate risks; a former naval admiral who at recognizing a close and fast-moving threat undertook a study of climate change, and — there’s a predator there, and I have to deal HG: There’s a place for a great profile on went from being a skeptic to being extremely with that. We’re much better at dealing with a business or organization that’s doing concerned; the head of the Evangelical something like that than with this amorphous something innovative and positive. There’s Environmental Network, who makes the and slow-moving invisible change — though a place for stories about the latest findings case that pro-life Christian values demand climate scientists say it’s moving really about climate change, but we have to be climate action. quickly. But a lot of us are adapting to it, mindful of how that information is packaged, so people take in the message. There are I recently heard an interview with a young right? Humans are good at getting used to a new normal. unexpected voices of concern and hope, there conservative political activist who said, maybe are scientists who make sacrifices and take in the older generations there’s this partisan AP: What are some of most noticeable signs personal risks to collect important climate divide, but in my generation, we understand of climate change you’re seeing on the Cape? data. There’s room for meta-stories, like what that climate change is happening, that it’s HG: On the top of my mind, our beaches! you just raised — how can we know all this, our future. We aren’t going to abandon our And the rates of erosion from sea-level rise and still not have acted? There should also conservative values. We don’t have to. But and more powerful storms on top of natural be room for success stories, large or small. we want to debate solutions, not the science. erosion. Ballston Beach where the dune has Susan Solomon, the renowned atmospheric That’s a story that doesn’t deny climate breached twice in the past several years: the scientist at MIT, makes the case that we need change, or the political reality in Washington, dune is gone right now. A house was removed to remember and celebrate past successes ­— but it highlights that something different is there, and another is going to have to be soon. like dealing with the ozone hole — so that we possible. Commercial Street in Provincetown looked remember what we’re capable of doing. AP: Do you think enough of the media are on like a river during the March storms last year. There’s no one right way to address stories the same page? And Nantucket’s Easy Street and its floods. about climate change. There’s probably an HG: I think we’re moving in the right They’re having a workshop this summer to infinite number of right ways. And we need to direction. Climate change is a huge problem figure out how to keep historic Nantucket be telling all of them. that we have to keep talking about all the above water. time, so we have to find different ways to talk AP: I keep thinking that the record number of Ann Parson is a freelance science journalist about it. We have to be open to alternative rainy days this April must be climate change; based in South Dartmouth, Mass. Reach her approaches. I just wish we were further along. subtle but not so subtle? at [email protected]

16 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters PLOS Biology PLOS DATABASE of WOMEN SCIENTISTS is the DIVERSIFYING face of SCIENCE A database of women scientists created universities, men were invited to give Between its launch in January 2018 to by a team led by Elizabeth McCullagh and twice as many talks about their research November 2018, more than 7,500 women colleagues from the grass-roots organization as women. When asked why, the event from 133 countries have signed up and 500 Women Scientists has grown to list more organizers often repeated the same the platform has been accessed more than 7,500 women. explanation: “We tried to find a women to than 100,000 times by journalists, speak on this panel, but we didn’t know any conference organizers, school teachers, The Request a Woman Scientist database was created to address concerns that women who work on this topic.” and other scientists. women’s scientific expertise is often To combat the misperception that women excluded from professional gatherings. are not engaged in a range of scientific Adapted from press release by Mark Couch, “The idea came from repeated experiences activities, McCullagh and her colleagues director of communications, published online of seeing all men panels (‘manels’) and created the database to connect educational April 23, 2019 by the University of Colorado women’s scientific expertise often excluded institutions, policymakers, the media, the Anschutz Medical Campus. in the public realm,” said Elizabeth public, and others with women scientists Explore the database McCullagh a postdoctoral fellow in the across disciplines around the world. bit.ly/sw19sum14 Department of Physiology and Biophysics Women listed in the database have Read the PLOS Biology article on the database at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz indicated their willingness to speak with bit.ly/sw19sum15 Medical Campus. students or the media, consult on a project, According to a 2017 study that analyzed sit on a panel or serve as a conference colloquium speakers at 50 prestigious keynote speaker.

Top: Figure 4 from the McCullagh et al. article in PLOS Biology, displaying the top disciplines represented in the database, with size indicating relative representation of that discipline. Far Left: Figure 1 from the PLOS Biology article displaying the number of women who have signed up for the database over time. Left: Elizabeth McCullagh, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. PLOS Biology Courtesy of CU Denver

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 17 Amplify the Signal:

Many scicomm workshops focus on honing writing and editing skills — as they should — but AMPLIFY THE SIGNAL focused less on science storytelling and more on figuring out which science stories should be told. The two-day workshop, funded in part with an NASW Peggy Girshman Idea Grant and held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in mid-May, attracted about 200 graduate students, public information officers, faculty, researchers and journalists (pictured, middle left) from Illinois and elsewhere. Most were from the Midwest. Daniel Simons, a University of Illinois psychology professor, was the first of several presenters to describe the kinds of “perverse incentives” that lead some to do “iffy science” and others to engage in “iffy science communication.” “If your goal is only to get read, then you may as well go for clickbait, because that will get you read,” Simons told attendees. “If your goal is to get it right, the task is a lot harder ... because you need to question the assumptions about what counts as credible evidence.” Jodi Heckel The broad goal of the workshop was to learn how to “avoid promoting claims that lack evidence, and to figure out which ones are worth promoting,” he said. So, let’s get straight to some of the ideas shared to help scientists and science writers conduct and promote only the best research. Here are a few of them. For more in-depth information on these topics, watch Daniel Simons’ presentation along with those of Illinois psychology professors R. Chris Fraley and Brent Roberts.

Randomly assigning participants to your intervention and control conditions is key. Without random assignment, it is not possible to control for all of the factors that might bias your conclusions. Sample size matters. Studies involving only a few subjects are rarely reliable or replicable, and outcomes are most likely to reflect random variation between

Jordan Goebig Jordan groups. Look for/ask about a study’s statistical power. Was the study large enough to detect the expected effect most of the time (typically, at least 80 percent of the time if it’s true)? If you don’t see the power of the study mentioned, ask the researchers to tell you what it is. Control groups should be identical to intervention groups, except for the single factor you’re testing. “No contact” or inactive control groups often differ in many ways from the intervention group. Without controlling for those differences, it is invalid to claim the treatment caused the benefit. Don’t suggest studies in mice (or cells) are immediately relevant to human health. “In mice” should be in the headline and lede if the research was conducted in mice. If a paper reports only one outcome from a large study involving many participants, ask the scientists, “What other outcomes did you measure?” In fact, do that for every study, large or small. Selective reporting of outcomes is a sign that researchers are cherry-picking the data they share. University of Illinois University

18 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters ILLINOIS CONFERENCEFocusedonReducingNoise News Bureau.Contactherat Diana Yates and tothinkaboutwhatstorieswe’retelling.” and whothinkaboutthesethingshaveanincredibleresponsibility tousethatpowerwisely that storiescanalsopowerfullymisleadpeople.Thatmeans those ofuswhousestorytelling we’ve heardalotabouttodayandwhichI’mgoingtotalk fortherestofthistalk—is “Stories canbereallypowerful,butIthinkonecrucial thingtoremember—which quote fromYong thattiesalloftheelementsworkshoptogether: amazing power to recruitnewbrains to scienceaswell as itsabilityto mislead. Hereisa bees; andsciencejournalistEdYong (pictured,middleright)talkedaboutstorytelling —its science writingthatfocusedoncolonycollapsedisorder, themysteriousmalady ofhoney entomology professorMayBerenbaumwalkedparticipants throughthemorassofbad the incentivestructuresthatoftencontradictpurportedethical valuesinacademia.Illinois A scienceresearchethicist,C.K.Gunsalus,gaveparticipantsapowerfulmessageabout information createdwithanintenttoharm. information, Cookesaid.Thesecondisintentionallyfalseandthethird information andhowtoavoidsuccumbingfakesciencenews.Thefirstissimplyfalse professor, presentedonunderstandingthedifferencebetweendis-,mis-andmal- (“This PodcastWill KillYou”). NicoleCooke, UniversityofIllinoisinformationscience and insightsintostorytellingaudience-buildingthroughpodcastssocialmedia Advanced VisualizationLaboratoryattheNationalCenterforSupercomputingApplications, presentations with spectacular data visualizations from Donna Cox, the director of the Workshop organizersinterspersedthesenuts-and-bolts—buthumorouslyshared what theywantedtosee. This couldbeasignthatscientistsstoppedcollectingdataassoontheysaw In multi-studyanalyses,dothesamplesizesvarywidelyfornoobviousreason? Do theresearchersreporteffectsizesandinterpretthemforyou? is highlyimplausible. when thereisnoeffectatall.Acollectionofsuchvaluesinasinglesetstudies greater than.01donotprovidestrongevidence,andinsomecasesaremorelikely Are allofthesignificantp-valuesinastudybetween0.03and0.05? misleading, atbest,todrawbroadconclusionsfromasinglescientificfinding. Is thesciencewriterfocusedonasinglestudy, withnocontextorbackground? stories convincing,evenwhentheevidenceisn’tthere,”Simonssaid. sometimes complicatescompellingstorytelling.“Theproblemisthatwefind Is thestorytoogoodtobetrue? Did thescientistsreplicate for interventionresearch. Did theresearcherspre-registertheirhypotheses? isthelifescienceseditorat UniversityofIllinoisUrbana-Champaign [email protected] —orfailtoreplicatetheirownwork?

Science isamessybusiness,factthat

This is a best practice, especially This isabestpractice,especially

P-values P-values By DianaYates It’s

ScienceWriters go.illinois.edu/signal Browse theconference program: bit.ly/sw19sum16 Watch recordings of allsessions: tm |Summer/Fall 2019 |

19

University of Illinois Jordan Goebig Joan Meiners LOOKING AHEAD to #SciWri19 at Penn State

and involvement remains a large part of only a short mile north of the Creamery Warm Welcomes and our mission. Store. Creamery ice cream represents the university’s agricultural roots and remains Join us at ScienceWriters2019 for an Frozen Treats from today a symbol of Penn State pride. From opening reception at the historic Nittany the Cow to the Cone! the Happy Valley Lion Inn, combining landmark architecture, exquisite food, and an inviting atmosphere, Whether you’re a rival fan or a Penn State We are excited to welcome you to beautiful and get ready to explore our world-class alumnus, we’re looking forward to sharing State College, located in the heart of research facilities, which include a critical the lighthearted spirit that gives Happy Central Pennsylvania. State College is the zone observatory, a mosquito insectary, Valley its name! — Erin Colbourn, Penn third most populous city in Pennsylvania, a mushroom research center and more. State PIO after Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and is Throughout the conference, you’ll hear from surrounded by large tracts of farmland and researchers who are at the forefront of their an expanse of Appalachian Mountain ranges fields as varied as food and energy security, and forests. Our region enjoys national earth and atmospheric science, advanced distinction having been recently recognized MARK YOUR CALENDARS materials and multi-messenger astronomy. as one of the safest places for families, a There will be opportunities to have lunch best city for entrepreneurs, a top-rated ScienceWriters2020 with a scientist and partake in fascinating location for young professionals, and one Oct. 9-13 discussions in small group settings. of the fastest-growing areas in the state. Boulder, Colorado State College is the home of Penn State’s A visit to Penn State isn’t complete without University Park Campus. ice cream from the Berkey Creamery, a ScienceWriters2021 tradition for generations of Penn Staters and Penn State, founded in 1855, is Pennsylvania’s Oct. 22-26 their guests. But there’s more than meets sole land-grant institution and its largest Seattle, Washington the eye, or the mouth for that matter. Every public university. Penn State is deeply cone of Coconut Chip or cup of Death by connected to the community in many ways, ScienceWriters2022 Chocolate begins with the cream provided and a tradition of community education Dates TBD by the cows at Penn State’s dairy barns Chicago, Illinois

20 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters Geoff Rushton/Penn State Geoff Rushton/Penn

LOOKING Kate Dempsey/Penn State Left: The Nittany Lion is the famed mascot of Penn State. Center Top: First completed in 1867, Old Main Penn State’s first building of major significance. Center Bottom: A warm “grilled stickie” topped with ice cream is an iconic State College treat. Above: Fall colors will be on display when ScienceWriters takes place in October. Patrick Mansell/Penn State State Mansell/Penn Patrick AHEAD to Reid Rosalind #SciWri19 at Penn State

Tyrrell, “foster healthy conversations about We’ll also get the latest on collapsing ice This Year’s Program diversity, equity and inclusion in our craft sheets and rising seas, gravitational waves and in our profession.” Breakout sessions and black holes, strategies for mitigating The days ahead of #SciWri19 will be busy will further explore aspects of diversity and climate change, and new clues to brain with preconference events. The second inclusion, address conflicts of interest, and evolution. We’ll learn about how resistance #ComSciConSciWri event will bring provide new approaches to storytelling. Also evolves in cancer, how fake news goes viral, graduate students interested in science back is the popular “Power Pitch” session, and how accelerating losses of amphibians writing to State College for a full-day in which writers pitch story ideas directly to will affect ecosystems throughout the workshop. Betsy Mason is organizing a editors. Finally, this year we will be trying Americas. pre-conference workshop on Digital Map Making for Science Journalists: How and why something new and celebrating our annual In three “crossover” sessions, leading to incorporate maps into your reporting and award winners with a luncheon on Saturday. scientists and science writers will talk storytelling and SciWriCongress will also On Sunday and Monday, CASW New about this year’s #CRISPRtwins story and return (story, page 35). For the first time Horizons in Science sessions will take debate hot questions: How can scientists this year, SciLine will offer a three-day boot #SciWri19 attendees across the frontiers and journalists combat misinformation camp for reporters about community-level of research and delve into issues at the on genetics and race? Should “statistical environmental and health issues associated interface between science and science significance” be banned? How can science with oil and gas development. writing. The 2019 Patrusky Lecture will writers keep important stories from being be delivered by distinguished planetary hijacked by interest groups? ­ This year’s professional development — Tinsley scientist Steven Squyres. Squyres, the Davis, NASW executive director, Rosalind sessions, selected by NASW’s Programs James A. Weeks Professor of physical Reid, CASW executive director, and Jill Committee and organized by volunteers, sciences at Cornell University, is a seasoned will cover a range of topics of increasing Adams, NASW Programs Committee chair explorer of our solar system, having headed importance to science writers. The program several Mars missions and participated in will open with the plenary session How Can View the full program online at We Solve the Diversity Dearth in U.S. Science missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and the www.sciencewriters2019.org and near-Earth asteroid Eros. register beginning on August 1, 2019. Writing? to, in the words of organizers Ben Young Landis, Clinton Parks, and Kelly

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 21 COMMUNICATING SCIENCE: Mind the “rGap” By Stewart Wills

Often, to a scientist committed to action on the incandescent one — fully understanding result, the conversation will escalate into key issues such as climate change, the facts the energy trade-off, but motivated by other arguments and attacks. It’s very hard to get seem crystal clear — and communicating reasons totally unrelated to energy costs, such back to the debate about what is evidence, them to “the other side” can feel like shouting as light quality. Voila — an rGap is born. what is factual.” across a chasm. To two U.S. professors of In the best of circumstances, the presence Bridging the gap organizational behavior, the “gap” metaphor is of such a gap in perception would lead to indeed an apt one. There are, unfortunately, no shortcuts to dialogue and discussion, and perhaps the getting past this potential barrier to effective In a recently published paper from a late- development of a compromise solution, science communication, according to Cronin 2017 colloquium on “The Science of Science such as limiting incandescent lights only and Weingart. Communication,” Matthew Cronin of George to the areas where they’re most needed. Mason University and Laurie Weingart of (While small in scale, such a solution, the Instead, their own research, and their analysis Carnegie Mellon University explore the notion authors point out, is not unlike the carbon- of the copious organizational-behavior of representational gaps, or “rGaps” (PNAS, trading schemes sometimes proposed to literature in this area, suggests that effective doi: 10.1073/pnas.1805866116). These gaps are help control atmospheric greenhouse gases.) communication must begin with managing incompatibilities in fundamental assumptions But in general, on identifying such a gap rGap conflicts. And that, in turn, requires and perspectives that inevitably arise from the in perception, we instead tend to assume a genuine attempt to understand the other different experience and knowledge bases of simply that the other party lacks knowledge person’s or group’s values and perspectives the individuals involved. and understanding. And then we attempt to and to build trust, respect and empathy — remedy that perceived shortcoming in the a process that Cronin and Weingart refer Managing “rGap conflict,” according to to as “affective integration.” Only after this Cronin and Weingart, is a prerequisite to other party through explanations, lecturing and a data-dump of facts. process reduces the sense of personal threat effective communication — particularly in and frustration can “cognitive integration” a specialized and potentially forbidding area rGap conflicts — the debate and discussion that leads to such as “hard science.” And doing so rests on That’s a snare, Cronin and Weingart mutual understanding and new solutions — the hard work of building trust and respect. suggest, into which scientists, as keepers actually happen. of sometimes arcane expert information, Birth of an rGap Developing such understanding, rather than While the most pressing needs for effective are particularly apt to fall. And it leads to assuming that the other party shares your scientific communication often seem to what they call an “rGap conflict” — when perception and simply lacks “the facts,” is, revolve around issues such as stemming global individuals “take incompatible positions in Cronin and Weingart acknowledge, difficult warming or battling the anti-vaccination response to information” and quickly fall into work. Particularly in an age of the social- movement, Cronin and Weingart first root unproductive, sometimes intense personal media “zinger” or one-liner, it’s often more their discussion in a homier example: The argument, or its flip side, avoidant behavior or immediately satisfying to meet different decision on whether to purchase a regular withdrawal. perspectives with derision than with a incandescent bulb or an energy-saving “Each side believes they have good evidence, difficult effort to “bridge the rGap.” compact-fluorescent model. You may find the belief systems, and values,” Weingart said in a Yet, for those genuinely interested in decision a no-brainer, based on the projected press release accompanying the research. “But advancing public scientific understanding lifetime and energy cost of the fluorescent rather than explore each other’s evidence, in the service of solving problems, the bulb. Your partner, however, may reach for people try to defend their knowledge. As a researchers believe the bridging is essential. “We need to be willing to learn from others,” according to Cronin. “This is why trust and respect matter. We listen to the people we trust and respect even when we disagree. And this must be a two-way street.”

Stewart Wills is editor of Optics & Photonics News. ©2019 The Optical Society, reprinted with permission. Original appeared 16 April 2019 in Optics & Photonics News, www.osa-opn.org/news/mind-rgap.

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PLOS Biology Courtesy of CU Denver

22 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters MEMBER NEWS

Career Updates The NASW community celebrates the career milestones and continuing adventures of its professional and student members. Each issue, we share a roundup of awards, promotions, new jobs, travels, retirements, and other transitions of science writers in our community.

Andrew Fraknoi, an astronomy professor of Journalists and Authors, as well as gold As usual, NASW members are always on at the University of San Francisco, has in the journalism category by the Nautilus the move, giving up old jobs for new jobs received the 2019 Space Educator: Lifetime Book Awards. and engaging in new adventures. Here’s the latest job news: Achievement Award from the National Space Last in the award category, Julie Kiefer, Club. Andrew is the first astronomy educator manager of science communications for After 30 years as a federal government affairs ever to receive the award, which usually University of Utah Health, writes to say that officer and science writer, most of that with recognizes secondary school teachers she was a producer of the unit’s short film the National Institute of Standards and but is sometimes given to others active in “One in a Million,” about the search for an Technology, Michael Newman has joined space education. According to the Club’s answer to a boy’s undiagnosed disease. The the public relations team at Johns Hopkins media release, he is being lauded for his film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival Medicine in Baltimore. He will be promoting “career as an award-winning astronomy in February, and then went on to win two and communicating research at nine educator, innovator, author, and key link awards at the Las Vegas Film Festival. On top different divisions: hematology, infectious communicating our expanding knowledge of of that, the film helped pass a Utah state law diseases, nephrology, otolaryngology (ear, the universe.” You can congratulate Andrew for insurance to cover genome sequencing nose, and throat, so you don’t have to look at [email protected] for children with undiagnosed diseases. it up as your columnist did), pathology, Meanwhile, Jan Lathrop, a science writer at Julie says that she and her colleagues are pediatrics, radiology, surgery, and urology. the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, now planning another film. Get in touch at Contact Michael at [email protected] [email protected] received a campus-wide Chancellor’s A.J. Hostetler, who served as Citation Award in May. Jan, who has worked In miscellaneous news, Pakinam Amer, communications director for the Virginia in the university’s office of news and media chief editor of Nature Middle East, was Department for Aging and Rehabilitative relations since 2008, was recognized for her chosen as one of 12 fellows in the 2019 Services for more than eight years, has now “brilliant writing and remarkable ability to Logan Science Journalism Program at the moved to Virginia Commonwealth University translate complex scientific concepts into Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, where she will be the first communications easily understandable prose,” according to Massachusetts; and Nancy Shute, editor- and outreach administrator for its Office of an email sent to the campus community in-chief of the Science News Media Group, Research and Innovation. You can reach A.J. by the university’s vice chancellor for traveled to Beijing last September to deliver at [email protected] university relations. Contact her at a plenary speech at the World Conference [email protected] Kristen Kusek writes to say that she has on Science Literacy. “Wow do I have a lot to moved from Boston to St. Petersburg, And Sidney Perkowitz, an emeritus learn about China,” Nancy remarks, adding Florida, where she is now the science professor of physics at Emory University, that “they have mastered the art of the communication strategist at the University was happy to see his essay about the traffic jam.” of South Florida College of Marine Science. nature of time, “Time Examined and Time It’s a homecoming for Kristen, who earned Experienced,” picked by Physics World as one of its best articles from 2018. Email: [email protected] Rachel Nuwer’s book Poached: Inside HAVE A CAREER UPDATE? SEND SUBMISSIONS TO the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking was awarded 2019 Outstanding General MICHAEL BALTER AT [email protected] Non-fiction book by the American Society

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 23 a dual masters in marine science and for NASW, of course. Kim McDonald has Country News, is now also the news and journalism at USF 21 years ago. “It’s crazy retired as head research communications public affairs director for KVNF, a community fun to be back to a place where I first learned director at University of California, San radio station covering seven counties on to spread my professional wings,” she says. Diego, and also as coach of the collegiate Colorado’s Western Slope. Email her at [email protected] triathlon team. And Roanne Weisman, who has moved back to her home town of And Alaina Levine has become a columnist New and Returning for Science magazine’s Science Careers. In Montreal after 40 years in Boston, is “mostly her column, “Your Unicorn Career,” Alaina retired” but will still do a few projects for her Members gives advice about “understanding your U.S. clients, including a new book on breast cancer. “It feels very good to be Canadian New and returning NASW members from value and creating professional bliss,” things December 2018 to May 2019 we all could use. Alaina will draw upon her and using my French again,” Roanne adds. experience as a professional speaker, STEM ALABAMA: Megan Rich*, University of Alabama career consultant, and corporate comedian. Other Short Takes: Birmingham, Birmingham. ARIZONA: Anna C. Email her at [email protected] Christensen, Freelance, Tucson • Sabine Galvis*, Noelle Swan has been promoted to deputy Arizona State University, Tempe. CALIFORNIA: editor of the Christian Science Monitor but Anna Aaronson*, Boston University, Petaluma • Getting a new job can be very exciting — fortunately will continue to take the lead but so can retiring from one. And of course Ellen Airhart, Freelance, San Francisco • Josh in the paper’s science, technology, and Bowman*, California State University Monterey retirement doesn’t stop NASW members environmental coverage; David Levine from keeping active. Bay, Marina • Dan Brubaker*, Johns Hopkins received a travel grant to attend the Lindau University, Arcata • Therese Cudworth*, Johns Jennifer Jackson Cox retired from her Nobel Laureate Meetings, where he will Hopkins University, Grass Valley • Christoph position as director of communications at moderate a panel; Megha Satyanarayana, Droesser, Freelance, San Francisco • Theresa North Carolina State University last year, but senior editor of C&EN, was selected to be Duque, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, plans to pursue “several writing projects that part of Poynter’s 2019 Leadership Academy Oakland • Alexander Fox, Science, Berkeley • have been on the back burner for quite some for Women in Digital Media; and Jodi Tiffany Fox, Moores Cancer Center at UC San time.” She will also continue to volunteer Peterson, a contributing editor at High Diego Health, Encinitas • Thomas Garlinghouse,

MEET A NEW MEMBER Each month on nasw.org we profile a new member to get to know them, learn about their career and craft, and find out why they joined our professional community. Read the latest profiles at www.nasw.org/article/member-news.

Harrison Tasoff Nicoletta Lanese Science Writer, UC Santa Barbara Freelance Science Journalist

I grow bonsai and inherited a I’ve often used science pine that’s older than I am.” as inspiration for dance “ “ choreography.”

Ashley Hamer Prabarna Ganguly Managing Editor, Curiosity Science Writer, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) I’m a Boston-qualified “ marathon runner and I just I can do a highly convincing ran my 10th marathon.” “ imitation of Shakira’s singing.”

Elizabeth Culotta Tim Bonfield Deputy News Editor, Science Senior Associate Marketing & Communications Cincinnati Children’s My rescue dog and cat assist Hospital Medical Center in every story I write or edit, “ guarding my office and nudging I had the great fortune to ride me to get up and walk when they on NASA’s ‘Vomit Comet.’ A well- (and I) need it.” “ named experience!”

24 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters UC Santa Cruz, Felton • Dorsey Griffith, UC Davis Science News, Washington • Samantha Jones, Health, Sacramento • Thomas Hayden, Stanford American Chemical Society, Washington • David University, San Francisco • Hope Henderson*, Malakoff, Science, Washington • Melissa Suran, DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEW UC Berkeley, Berkeley • Chris Iovenko, Free- National Academy of Sciences, Wash- MEMBER BENEFITS? lance, Los Angeles • Yoo Kim*, Stanford Univer- ington. FLORIDA: Bethany Augliere, Freelance, FLIP TO PAGE 10 FOR A sity, Menlo Park • Alison Koontz*, Caltech, Pasa- Delray Beach • Hannah Brown*, University of FULL LIST OF RESOURCES dena • Aliyah Kovner, Lawrence Berkeley Florida, Gainesville • Rebecca Burton, University National Laboratory, Sebastopol • So Hae of Florida Thompson Institute for Earth Systems AND LINKS. (Irene) Park, Buck Institute, San Francisco • Kelly at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Quigley, Scripps Research, San Diego • Priyanka Gainesville • Alisson Clark, University of Florida, Runwal*, University of California, Santa Cruz, Gainesville • Anessa Gower*, Johns Hopkins Michalski, Journal of the American Medical Asso- Santa Cruz • Helen Santoro*, UC Santa Cruz, University, Ponte Vedra Beach • Mary-Elizabeth ciation, Chicago • Grace Niewijk, Yale University, Felton • Sydney Smith*, University of Rhode Jobson*, University of Florida, Palm Bay • Daniel Oak Park • Andrea Poet, The Morton Arboretum, Island, Mill Valley • Barbara Tannenbaum, Free- King, The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos. Chicago • Matt Reyer*, University of Chicago, lance, San Rafael • Harrison Tasoff, UC Santa com, Winter Park • Doreen Lewis, Freelance, Chicago • Lauren Robinson*, Northwestern Barbara, West Hills • Joseph Taylor*, Johns Hudson • Matt Mauney, The Mesothelioma University, Chicago • Laura Schmitt, University Hopkins University, Burbank • Menaka Wilhelm, Center at Asbestos.com, Orlando • Murphy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Bioengineering Freelance, San Luis Obispo. Roni McDonald*, Nova Southeastern University, COLORADO: Dept., Champaign • Alexander Taylor, Freelance, Dengler, Freelance, Boulder • Gillian Dohrn*, Dania Beach • Michelle Whitmer, The Mesothe- Chicago • Anna White*, Northwestern University Colorado College, Colorado Springs • Lindsay lioma Center at Asbestos.com, Orlando • Rachel Medill School of Journalism, Evanston • Carolyn Fendt, Freelance, Denver • Max Levy*, University Wimmer*, University of Central Florida, Deltona Wilke, Freelance, Evanston. INDIANA: Julie of Colorado Boulder, Boulder • Caitlin Looby, • Lu Yang*, University of Florida, Gaines- Monroe*, Duquesne University, Brownsburg • Freelance, Fort Collins • Sara Pratt, Freelance, ville. Deanna Bellandi, JAMA Network ILLINOIS: Kayla Wiles, Purdue University, West Lafay- BOULDER • Kelsey Simpkins, Future Earth, at the American Medical Association, Chicago • ette. IOWA: Niranjana Krishnan*, Iowa State Boulder • Elizabeth Terhune*, University of Stephanie Blaszczyk*, University of Wiscon- University, Ames • David Navarrete, Sky Factory, Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver • sin-Madison, South Beloit • Sheila Burt, Shirley Fairfield. KENTUCKY: Alicia Surrao, Untold Kate Zalzal, Freelance, Lyons. DELAWARE: Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago • Jordan Greer*, Content, Taylor Mill. MAINE: Charlie Schmidt, Lindsay Townsend*, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, Chicago • Ashley Hamer, Freelance, Portland. MARYLAND: Kyla Britson*, Dover. Adam Cohen, Curiosity.com, Chicago • Mary Chris Jaklevic, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, American Association for the Advancement of Freelance, Oak Park • Brianna McKenna*, Illinois Baltimore • Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson, Johns Science, Washington • Carolyn Gramling, Institute of Technology, Frankfort • Jim Hopkins University, (Continued next page)

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ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 25 Institute, Grand Rapids • Stephanie Hamilton*, Denise Wirth*, The University of Tulsa, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor • Natalie Pol*, Tulsa. OREGON: Farron Brougher*, Freelance, WE WANT TO FEATURE Michigan State University, Lansing. Hood River • Suzanne Dixon, University of Mich- PHOTOS FROM YOUR MINNESOTA: Cadence Bambenek, Freelance, igan, Portland • Leto Sapunar, Freelance, McMin- WORK AND TRAVELS! Duluth • Mara Johnson-Groh, Freelance, nville • Elizabeth Weinberg, NOAA Office of Mankato • Marissa Spear*, University of Minne- National Marine Sanctuaries / National Marine SUBMIT ONLINE: sota Duluth, Duluth. MISSOURI: Emily Adams*, Sanctuary Foundation, Portland. bit.ly/swpicsubmit University of Missouri, Columbia • Cullen PENNSYLVANIA: Hiba Al-Ashtal*, University of Ecoffey*, University of Missouri, Columbia • Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh • Kelly Franklin*, Temple Zeke Elkins*, University of Missouri, Columbia • University, Lansdale • Erin Hare, UPMC, Pitts- Alison Gold*, Washington University in St. Louis, burgh • Erin Hendrick, Penn State, University Baltimore • Claudia Costabile, USP, Silver Spring St. Louis • Libby Moeller*, University of Missouri, Park • Asher Jones*, Penn State, State College • • Prabarna Ganguly, National Human Genome Wildwood • Danielle Pycior*, University of Brooke Kuei*, Penn State, State College • Alison Research Institute, Hyattsville • Bob Hirshon, Missouri, Columbia • Colleen Wouters*, Univer- McCook, Freelance, Wyncote • Teddy Rosen- Springtail Media, Takoma Park • Thomas Patrick sity Of Missouri, Columbia • Emma Young*, bluth*, University of California, Los Angeles, Johnston, NIST, Frederick • Rona Kobell, Mary- University of Missouri - St. Louis, University City Swarthmore • Samuel Sander Effron*, University land Sea Grant, Towson • Melanie Lippert*, • Karina Zaiets*, University of Missouri, of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia • Jacob William- University of Richmond, Saint Leonard • Samuel Columbia. MONTANA: Michael Coryell*, son-Rea, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh • Lopez, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Montana State University, Bozeman • Berly Edyta Zielinska, Thomas Jefferson University, Research, Hagerstown • Jianyi Nie, Johns McCoy, Freelance, Coram • Mary Morton, Free- Philadelphia. RHODE ISLAND: Molly Magid*, Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore • Laurel Oldach, lance, Big Sky. NEBRASKA: Alison Stevens, Free- Brown University, Providence • Leonard American Society for Biochemistry and Molec- lance, Lincoln. NEVADA: Kelsey Fitzgerald, Desert Sprague*, Brown University, Providence. SOUTH ular Biology, Silver Spring • Gianmarco Raddi*, Research Institute, Reno. NEW HAMPSHIRE: CAROLINA: Sandra McVearry*, Johns Hopkins UCLA / University of Cambridge / NIH, Bethesda • Dillon Mulhern*, University of New Hampshire, University, Clover • Chelsea Weidman Burke, Amy Ratner, Beyond Celiac, Abingdon • Chris Durham. NEW JERSEY: Jeanette Beebe, Free- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Reinhardt*, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore lance, Titusville • Abigail Meola*, Stevens Insti- Carolinas, Spartanburg. SOUTH DAKOTA: Afton • Mohor Sengupta, National Institutes of Health, tute of Technology, Skillman • Patricia Quigley, Woodward*, Johns Hopkins University, Sioux Rockville • Rebecca Thompson, Freelance, Rowan University, Glassboro • Amanda Zahorik*, Falls. TENNESSEE: Matthew Blois, Big Biology/ Annapolis • Marie White, Leidos Biomedical University of Delaware, Southampton. NEW Freelance, Brentwood • Paul Boisvert, Oak Ridge Research, Inc., Baltimore • Chris Worthington, MEXICO: Jenna Marshall, Santa Fe Institute, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge • Gregory Jones, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Santa Fe • Gretchen Reynolds, The New York Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Knoxville • Research, New Windsor. Times, Santa Fe • Curtis Segarra*, Trinity Univer- Vanessa Moss*, Sewanee: The University of the MASSACHUSETTS: Diego Arenas*, MIT, sity, Bosque Farms. NEW YORK: Meghan Bartels, South, Sewanee • Natalya Ortolano*, Vanderbilt Cambridge • Hannah Bernstein*, Northeastern New York University, New York • Annie Behr*, The University, Nashville • Shelby Whitehead*, University, Boston • Jennifer Bevis*, Johns New School, Rochester • Madeline Bender*, Yale University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Eliza- Hopkins University, Weymouth • Abbey Bigler*, University, New York • Renee Cho, Center for bethton. TEXAS: Ana Flores*, St. Edward’s Boston University, Brighton • Timothy Briggs*, Climate and Life at Columbia University, New University, Del Valle • Maude Kauffman*, Univer- Northeastern University, Boston • Laura York • Laura Dattaro, Freelance, New York • Jona- sity of Iowa, Frisco • Madeline Patton*, Texas A&M Castanon, Northeastern University, Jamaica than Fahey, Forbes, Brooklyn • Charles Graeber, University, College Station • Katie Regan, Chil- Plain • Deboki Chakravarti, Freelance, Amherst • Freelance, Brooklyn • Amy Harmon, The New York dren’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Sara Cody, MIT, Cambridge • Ari Daniel, NOVA, Times, New York • Randy Hecht, Aphra Communi- Southwestern, Dallas • Julissa Trevino, Free- Story Collider, Independent, Somerville • cations, Brooklyn • Lucy Hicks, Freelance, lance, Fort Worth. VIRGINIA: Rasha Aridi*, Olumurejiwa Fatunde*, MIT, Cambridge • Brittany Brooklyn • Joshua Krisch, Fatherly, Ithaca • Virginia Tech, Blacksburg • Kevin Barry*, The Flaherty*, MIT, Cambridge • Greta Friar, White- Youngah Karen Kwon*, Columbia University, New Uniformed Services University of Health head Institute of Biomedical Research, York • Elizabeth Ladyzhets*, Barnard College, Sciences, Williamsburg • Callan Bentley, Free- Cambridge • Hannah Gavin, Massachusetts New York • Nicoletta Lanese, Freelance, New York lance, Fort Valley • Adrienne Berard, College of Institute of Technology, Somerville • Conor • Meaghan McElroy*, Ithaca College, New Paltz • William and Mary, Mattaponi • Victoria Stein, PBS Gearin, Whitehead Institute, Quincy • Pratibha James Nordlinger, Freelance, Hastings-on- NewsHour, Arlington • Christie Wagner, Free- Gopalakrishna*, Boston University, Brookline • Hudson • Caitlin Shure, The Rockefeller Univer- lance, Leesburg. WASHINGTON: Kelly Brenner, Jordan Harrod*, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences sity, New York • Marie Sweet*, NYU School of Freelance, Seattle • Amanda Foreman*, Wash- and Technology, Cambridge • Emily Makowski*, Medicine, Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomed- ington State University, Pullman • Megan Watzke, MIT, Somerville • Daniel Merino*, Boston Univer- ical Sciences, New York • Bryan Walsh, Free- Chandra X-ray Center, Seattle. WISCONSIN: sity, Cambridge • Indrani Mukherjee, Broad lance, Brooklyn. NORTH CAROLINA: Kimberly Alejandra Canales*, University of Wisconsin-Mad- Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston • Emily Bourne*, Duke University, Durham • Alison ison, Madison • Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian, Pontecorvo*, MIT, Cambridge • Amy Roeder, Grey*, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro • Peggy Plymouth. WYOMING: Lisa Baril, Utah State Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Mullin*, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill • Meredith University/Freelance, Mammoth. AUSTRALIA: Lowell • Gwendolyn Schanker, Ten Bridge Schmehl*, Duke University, Durham. OHIO: Ellen Rykers, Australian Academy of Science/ Communications, Boston • Gabriela Serrato Laura Arenschield, The Ohio State University, Freelance, Canberra. CANADA: Brittney Marks*, MIT, Boston • Elizabeth Spitz*, Middlesex Columbus • Timothy Bonfield, Cincinnati Chil- Borowiec*, McMaster University, Mississauga • Community College, South Grafton • Madeleine dren’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati • Lisa Anika Hazra, Freelance, Scarborough. CHINA: Turner*, MIT, Cambridge • Taylor White*, Suffolk McDonald, The American Ceramic Society, Cici Zhang, Freelance, Nanjing. COLOMBIA: Sean University, Hyannis. MICHIGAN: Chelsie Columbus • Leanna Rinehart*, Johns Hopkins Mattson, International Center for Tropical Agri- Boodoo*, Michigan State University, East University, Shaker Heights • Ling Xin*, Ohio culture, Cali. UNITED KINGDOM: Nick Parkins, Lansing • Scott Crawford*, Johns Hopkins University, Athens. OKLAHOMA: Heather Freelance, Andover University, Ann Arbor • Emily Haley*, Van Andel Hollen*, Johns Hopkins University, Norman • *Student Members

26 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters We Remember David Anthony “Tony” Fitzpatrick Peter Norman Calamai David Anthony “Tony” Fitzpatrick Peter Norman Calamai, one of passed away at his home in Webster Canada’s most distinguished Groves, Mo. on June 8, 2019. journalists, died on Jan. 22, 2019, at Fitzpatrick was born in his home in Stratford, Ont. He was 75. Beardstown, Ill. and was raised His multitude of accolades include in the Aurora-Oswego area, three National Newspaper Awards, a which accounts for his life-long Governor-General’s Award, the Order dedication to the Chicago Cubs. of Canada for service to both He moved to Champaign-Urbana journalism and adult literacy, and an to attend the University of Illinois, honorary doctorate from McMaster where he graduated with a degree University. in english education. He taught Calamai, who was born in Pennsylvania but moved to Brantford, Ont., high school and coached three sports in Genoa-Kingston, Ill. for as a child, earned a bachelor of science degree in physics at McMaster two years before moving to Ohio to earn an MFA in creative writing University before starting his professional career as a journalist, first at Bowling Green State University. at the Brantford Expositor, then with the Hamilton Spectator. After He returned to Champaign-Urbana to work at the University of mastering several beats, he was promoted to the parent Southam Illinois as an assistant professor of ag communications in the News Service as a national and then foreign correspondent. He headed College of Agriculture. In 1987, he moved his family to St. Louis for the Washington, European and African bureaus, covering more than a position at Washington University’s public affairs department, a dozen armed conflicts as well as major political developments. He The Ottawa Citizen, where he worked as a science writer until his retirement in 2009. returned to newspapers as editorial page editor at and ended his career as science writer for the Toronto Star. Early in his tenure, Fitzpatrick attended two of CASW’s New Horizons in Science briefings and decided that WashU, often Calamai, a longtime NASW member, was a founding member of the confused with the 21 other colleges or institutions with Canadian Science Writers’ Association in 1971 and founding director “Washington” in their titles, needed to do something to raise its of the Science Media Centre of Canada in 2010. Through these and profile among science writers. After bringing the event to St. Louis other organizations, he worked to promote accuracy in scientific in 1993 and 2002, he recalled the “marvelous, though exhausted, reporting, to strengthen transparency and accountability in scientific feeling of having done the right thing for your school and your agencies, and to improve Canadians’ understanding of science and profession.” technology. He was also an adjunct research professor at the Carleton University School of Journalism, teaching as a sessional instructor and A longtime NASW member, Fitzpatrick was a gifted writer and an supervising numerous theses. award-winning author. His book Signals from the Heartland was published in 1993 and cited among the best books of creative Outside journalism, Calamai was an athlete who loved golf, tennis and nonfiction in the sciences by Library Journal. His fiction was curling. He was also a renowned expert on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and focused on the themes of family relationships, the Cold War era, his fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. and the absurdity of the mundane in everyday life. Fitzpatrick’s love for music (specifically early R&B and early rock ’n’ roll) and writing inspired both of his children to continue to create. ScienceWriters has learned belatedly of the deaths of the Outside of work Fitzpatrick spent a good deal of his time coaching following members: youth sports, particularly the softball, baseball, basketball, and Richard Magat, a journalist and director of communications for the soccer teams of his children. Additionally, his favorite aspect of his Ford Foundation for 25 years, died March 13, 2017. He was 90. job at Washington University was mentoring young writers, both those new to the office and those in their undergraduate careers. He Malcolm Manber, a science writer at the Bayonne Times, The Newark found great fulfillment in his genuine, natural talent of mentoring Evening News, Medical World News and Physicians Weekly, died others. January 23, 2016. He was 89. After his retirement, Fitzpatrick continued to work as a freelance Pat McCormack, whose journalism career spanned more than 50 writer. Among his most rewarding post-retirement pastimes was years, much of it as a nationally published columnist and senior substitute teaching in the Webster Groves School District, where he editor for United Press International (UPI), died July 26, 2017. She was known for his endless repertoire of jokes coupled with his deep was 90. kindness and sincere calling to help all students. John Troan, editor of The Pittsburgh Press from 1967-83, died Oct. 7, 2017. He was 99. A former president of NASW, his science writing career included step-by-step coverage of the Salk polio vaccine from its conception to its successful conclusion. (Barnwell) Rhett Turnipseed, who served in the U.S. Army as a combat correspondent and later worked as a producer at Voice of America, died January 18, 2015.

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 27 ADVANCE COPY

Backstories on Books by NASW members Each issue, NASW members share details of their latest books and insights into getting published. Authors report what they wish they’d known before they began working on their book, what they might do differently the next time, and what tips they can offer aspiring authors at www.nasw.org/article/advance-copy

Destination Moon: Bitten: The Secret History A Walking Life: Reclaiming Our The Remarkable and of Lyme Disease and Biological Health and Our Freedom One Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11 Weapons HarperCollins Step at a Time Da Capo Press Roaring Brook/Macmillan By Kris Newby* Lifelong Books/Hachette Book By Richard Maurer* Group By Antonia Malchik* Having experienced persistent From Jules Verne’s novels in effects of a tick bite, Kris Newby Our car-centric culture has the 1860s to Disney’s “Man helped create the 2009 Lyme been designing walking out of in Space” TV series in the disease documentary, Under our lives for nearly a hundred 1950s, popular culture often Our Skin. In 2013, she learned years, Antonia Malchik asserts. presciently described space scientist Willy Burgdorfer, who Forgoing walking has eroded travel. In Destination Moon, had identified the Lyme disease- our sense of community, made Richard Maurer focuses on six causing bacterium, attributed us more anxious about time, cut people plus co-workers who Lyme’s initial outbreak to a us off from nature, and boosted helped transform sci-fi into bioweapons release. Her obesity and air pollution, she reality. Posters and photos book, Bitten, explores that says. In A Walking Life, Malchik round out the text. astonishing claim. calls for a U-turn. Maurer writes, “I’ve been Newby writes, “I spent five years Malchik writes, “My agent working on Apollo projects since digging through Burgdorfer’s and I spent about six months 1976, so research was a matter personal papers, visiting developing the book proposal of digging deeper into ground archives, and interviewing together. I felt very strongly that was already well spaded by bioweapons experts and people that I wanted a book for my chronic Apollo obsession. the researcher knew. From the everywalker, a kind of I enjoyed every minute of it, the beginning, I tried to push Michael Pollan-for-walking but I must say I had forgotten boundaries of the narrative book, instead of the usual the standard advice I give to nonfiction genre, showing the literary or intellectual history. aspiring authors: calculate the emotional journey Burgdorfer That required venturing into maximum amount of time the went through as he moved from unexpected subjects like book can possibly take, then saving people from bug-borne robotics, disability, social multiply that number by ten.” diseases to turning bugs into capital, and infant brain Read the full article weapons of war.” development.” bit.ly/sw19sum18 Read the full article Read the full article bit.ly/sw19sum19 bit.ly/sw19sum20

LYNNE LAMBERG, NASW BOOK EDITOR, WELCOMES NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENTS. FIND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AT NASW.ORG/ADVANCE- COPY-SUBMISSIONS-GUIDELINES AND EMAIL [email protected]

*NASW Member

28 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters Explaining the Future: How to Space 2.0: How Private Aschwanden writes, “I wrote Research, Analyze, and Report Spaceflight, a Resurgent my book in Scrivener, which on Emerging Technologies NASA, and International allowed me to keep all of my Oxford University Press Partners Are Creating a research and writing in one (big) By Sunny Bains* New Space Age BenBella Books file where I could easily search, By Rod Pyle*, foreword by organize and arrange it. I kept If you’re new to covering Buzz Aldrin a spreadsheet of the people I technology, where do you start? interviewed, and used Mendeley In Explaining the Future, Sunny SpaceX sent a Crew Dragon to organize the hundreds of Bains tells what to ask, where spacecraft with cargo to the scientific papers I read. I may to find answers, how to assess International Space Station in use Zotero next time, but I’d say experts’ opinions, and how March. A planned Crew Dragon that the most important thing is to organize and convey your trip to ISS will put two NASA to find a system for saving and conclusions. astronauts in space for the first time since 2011. In Space searching your PDFs and stick Bains writes, “I was gearing 2.0, Rod Pyle conveys the to it. Mendeley allowed me to up to teach a new class on excitement of the next era of export bibliography notes with tech journalism and started to space exploration. one click, which made things look for a text on technology much easier when I was doing analysis. There were none. All Pyle writes, “This book was a the notes section. Scrivener also of a sudden, something clicked departure for me, as I previously allows you to create footnotes in my brain: the world didn’t had written books of a historical or endnotes, and these features need another book about nature, not forward-looking, saved me time during the fact- writing (and certainly not one policy-driven products. I did checking.” written by me!). What it did about a year of research, and then interviewed 35 Read the full article need was a book that taught all bit.ly/sw19sum24 of the skills involved in science/ leaders in the field from NASA, tech journalism — research, international space agencies, and the commercial spaceflight analysis, and writing — in a The Shape of a Life: One sector. Gaining access to some way that showed the common Mathematician’s Search philosophy between the three.” of these folks was a challenge— for the Universe’s Hidden parts of the commercial Read the full article Geometry Yale University bit.ly/sw19sum21 spaceflight sector are highly Press By Shing-Tung Yau and proprietary—but I found what Steve Nadis* I needed and wrote the book, exceeding my word count by Harvard geometer, Fields Math Art: Truth, Beauty, medalist, and MacArthur and Equations Sterling about 40 percent. My editor, James Lowder, then entered the Fellow Shing-Tung Yau grew By Stephen Ornes* up in poverty in China and scene. Together we reshaped Hong Kong. A teacher’s A mathematician created 13 and pruned the manuscript, recommendation enabled him mathematical quilts providing taking another year to arrive at to pursue doctoral studies at visual representations of a mutually agreeable text.” the University of California, patterns in pi. A topologist Read the full article Berkeley. In The Shape of a Life, worked out equations for inner bit.ly/sw19sum23 Yau and NASW member Steve and outer curves of seashells Nadis tell Yau’s engaging story to sculpt shells from gypsum. and explore his work. A teacher crochets tangible Good To Go: What the Athlete Nadis writes, “I met Yau for the models of the hyperbolic in All of Us Can Learn From the first time in 2006. A friend of his, plane. In Math Art, Stephen Strange Science of Recovery a Cornell physicist I knew from Ornes explains the math and W.W. Norton & Co. By Christie articles I’d previously written, provides stunning examples of Aschwanden* told me that he was looking mathematical art. for someone with whom to Once seen as rest between coauthor a book. I was busy at Ornes writes, “My advice to workouts, recovery today is the time and almost said no but aspiring book writers is to invest deemed an active extension then decided to meet with Yau time at the beginning to think of training. Techniques, foods, since his office at Harvard was just a five-minute bike ride from about the reading audience, drinks, and other products my home in Cambridge. Looking develop a clear sense of the that promise to speed recovery book’s purpose, and map out back, I’m glad I made time for abound. Some help; some don’t that conversation. The Shape of the structure, even if you end up or even may cause harm. In Good a Life is the fourth book we’ve abandoning it.” to Go, Christie Aschwanden written together. We’re already helps readers distinguish making plans for a fifth.” Read the full article substance from hype. bit.ly/sw19sum22 Read the full article bit.ly/sw19sum25

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 29 Wild LA: Explore the Interplanetary Robots: True Wood at Fine Print Literary Amazing Nature In and Stories of Space Exploration Management. I sent the Around Los Angeles Timber Prometheus Books By Rod Pyle*, proposal to Laura, who helped Press By Lila Higgins, Gregory foreword by James Green me turn it from a rather geeky B. Pauly, Jason G. Goldman*, and detailed semi-scholarly Charles Hood From the first images of Mars history into a more compact Mariner 4 sent back to earth and marketable book aimed at In Los Angeles, the La Brea in 1965 to those of Pluto New the general reader. Tar Pits hold millions of Ice Horizons captured in its 2015 Ace fossils, bobcats roam flyby, the solar system has She also pushed me to take urban parks, and the world’s proved “far less friendly and a more narrative journalism northernmost resident sea hospitable than we had hoped, approach in my sample chapter. turtle population swims but more fascinating than we I had a perfect story for that: in the San Gabriel River. In could have imagined,” Rod Pyle how the Pentagon blew its Wild LA, Jason G. Goldman writes. In Interplanetary Robots, chance to invent the laser by and colleagues provide an Pyle recounts six decades of denying a security clearance to informative guide to these and headline-making history. a visionary physicist who had other attractions, with photos, been a communist.” maps, and directions. Pyle writes, “Researching and writing Interplanetary Robots Read the full article bit.ly/sw19sum29 Goldman writes, “Having was a joy. I interviewed a covered urban nature in Los number of people involved with Angeles as a journalist, I already the programs in the book, a task had done most of the research. made easier by my proximity The Breakthrough: Still, because of the roughly to and status as a contractor Immunotherapy and the one-chapter-a-week pace Race to Cure Cancer Twelve with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Books/Hachette Book Group necessary to meet the deadline, Laboratory, just a few miles By Charles Graeber* it was the most challenging from my home. assignment I’d taken on.” The main challenge in Skeptical reporters usually Read the full article researching the book was avoid the word “breakthrough,” bit.ly/sw19sum26 researching the variations but Charles Graeber deems that often occur in primary it the right word for the Nobel references. Spaceflight is a Prize-winning scientific Burning the Sky: Operation fast-moving business, and after discoveries he describes Argus and the Untold Story Of many decades, archived records in The Breakthrough. More the Cold War Nuclear Tests in do not always match. Also, the than 3,000 clinical trials of Outer Space Harry N. Abrams immunotherapeutic drugs for by Mark Wolverton* memories of participants in those programs tend to vary cancer are in process. “Even In the late 1950s, during the many years later.” oncologists, a cautious bunch,” Cold War, the U.S. secretly he writes, “are using the Read the full article C word: cure.” conducted Operation Argus, a bit.ly/sw19sum28 series of high-altitude atomic Graeber writes, “The bomb tests that aimed to create Breakthrough was incredibly a radiation shield to block Lasers, Death Rays, and the difficult to report and write. I incoming warheads. New York Long, Strange Quest for the felt at times like I was trying Times reporters pierced the veil Ultimate Weapon Prometheus to sketch a speeding bullet of secrecy, raising safety and Books By Jeff Hecht* train. Before I could explain the moral concerns relevant today, science, I had to understand Mark Wolverton relates in From Zeus’ thunderbolts to it — which only a handful of Burning the Sky. sci-fi fiction, films, and comics, M.D./Ph.D.s truly did. The death rays rouse public interest. Wolverton writes, “It occurred advance didn’t cover the years to me that Argus could make a The Pentagon has explored the of research as I struggled to find good book topic — an impression potential of the laser, invented compelling personal stories reinforced by the incredulous in the late 1950s, to shoot that also captured the big “They actually did THAT?” down ballistic missiles and picture, and cobble science into reaction I’d receive whenever I achieve other military aims. a flowing human narrative with mentioned Argus to someone. That involved many alluring a ‘so what.’ But of course, if it I also realized that the Argus/ but ultimately false starts, Jeff was easy or obvious, the book space nuke story had renewed Hecht reports in Lasers, Death wouldn’t even be necessary.” present-day relevance with Rays, and the Long, Strange Quest for the Ultimate Weapon. Read the full article the advent of new and hostile bit.ly/sw19sum30 nuclear threats such as those Hecht writes, “I did not have from Iran and North Korea.” an agent, so I asked around. A Read the full article friend recommended Laura bit.ly/sw19sum27 *NASW Member

30 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters REGIONAL GROUPS

Communities Coast to Coast ScienceWriters conferences may only happen once a year, but NASW members can find community in a regional science writers group all year round. These local professional networks — organized independently of NASW but often led by NASW members — provide exciting opportunities for bonding, learning, and sharing our common love for science writing.

when he was just starting out. Topics Second Year of covered included: SciComm South Exploring new funding models A panel on new models of funding for Scores Success publications featured Keith Campbell of the Dallas Morning News, Kiah Collier of the A diverse crowd of about 75 gathered at Texas Tribune, and Brendan Gibbons of San Huston-Tillotson University in Austin on Antonio’s Rivard Report. Campbell brought April 6 to network and discuss science up a core struggle of the communication communication at the second annual industry: quality journalism is valuable and SciComm South. expensive to make, so many publications In his keynote speech, Thomas Hayden find it difficult to justify giving audiences (pictured, below), director of Stanford free access. Both Collier and Gibbons were in University’s graduate program in support of free access, and Gibbons said that environmental communication, reflected the Rivard Report is working to diversify their on the power of human collaboration. revenue streams in order to achieve that Hayden described a golden age of science goal. Collier attributed much of the Texas communication, with new models of Tribune’s success with nonprofit funding to Liz Kruesi journalism and lower barriers to entry in the an extremely passionate and hard-working field. He also talked about the importance staff who want to see journalism survive. of avoiding isolation and seeking out Better communication through improv risk in putting resources into public events, connection in his career, saying that he Nichole Bennett of STEMprov used improv the potential to create deeper engagement found a close group of other science writers to get attendees thinking about their in the audience is worth it. Maeckle approach to communication. In one agreed, saying the tangible experience of exercise, participants were instructed to seeing science up close and personal is start each sentence with the first letter of unparalleled. Maeckle also pointed out their partner’s last word. The goal was to get that approaching science on many levels people listening, rather than focusing only allows diverse groups to connect with it, on a pre-prepared response. The activity from art enthusiasts to technology geeks. was a reminder that communication is not Owen added that interacting with the just about expressing one’s own thoughts, public is an opportunity to get immediate but about being open to new ideas. feedback about the clarity and quality of communication, as well as a way to open Communicating directly with the public oneself up to new ways of approaching a A panel on communicating directly with topic. the public featured Monika Maeckle of the Texas Butterfly Ranch, Pamela Owen of Connecting with your audiences the Texas Memorial Museum, and Audrey A panel featuring Mickey Delp of Stewart of the Animal Facts Club. Stewart Dadageek, Thomas Hayden, and Bonnie

Richard Cunnimgham Richard said that while there is a certain element of Petrie of Texas Public Radio focused on

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 31 advice for navigating the field of science communication and connecting with audiences. Hayden reminded the audience that the field is always changing, and that lack of expertise won’t hold back anyone who is motivated to learn. Petrie agreed, saying “don’t ever have too much pride to ask a question.” She also emphasized the importance of bringing excitement and curiosity to science communication. The kinds of things shared with a friend over coffee, Petrie said, are what will draw an audience and get them invested in a new topic. This kind of personal, conversational science could be the key to engaging millennials in science news. Delp explained that this demographic prefers discussion and interaction in the classroom, suggesting that this mindset may extend to their media consumption as well. Courtesy of SWINY The role of solutions journalism The second keynote speech was given by Regional Updates Sarah Gustavus, the Mountain West regional NEW ENGLAND SCIENCE WRITERS manager for the Solutions Journalism (@NESCIWRITERS): Every other breath you Network. Gustavus introduced solutions take has been facilitated by phytoplankton. journalism as a useful method for telling That was just one of the many fascinating science stories. The central question in takeaway tidbits from a special half-day this approach, Gustavus said, is “who’s seminar co-hosted by New England Science doing it better?” The idea is to ask what Writers and The Metcalf Institute for Marine systemic processes are leading to positive and Environmental Reporting. outcomes and make audiences aware of them. Gustavus emphasized that the goal More than two dozen area science writers of SWINY Courtesy of solutions journalism is not to provide a piled into the community room at the neat resolution to every story but to remind Cambridge Public Library on Saturday, PublishDrive, a major e-book self-publishing audiences that large, complex problems, April 27 for Sea Change, a morning filled platform. Marketing consultant Phyllis Azar such as climate change, are “works in with researcher presentations, panels, spoke on how PublishDrive helps authors progress.” She said that the hopeful and a networking lunch. Talks centered on turn their book ideas into reality and helps message of solutions journalism results the impacts of climate change on marine editors ease into working with e-books. in more audience engagement in the long systems from the New England coast to the Thanks to SWINY board member Rita Baron- run. People are more willing to share these poles. This event was made possible by a Faust for coordinating this event. stories, and focus on the issues they cover, National Science Foundation grant. On May 20, SWINY held its annual party at than the barrage of negative headlines. historic Pete’s Tavern — “the tavern O. Henry SCIENCE WRITERS IN NEW YORK made famous” — in Union Square in the The SciComm South conference aims SWINY had several events, (@SWINY): private Speakeasy Room. Approximately to bolster the community of science including interviews with authors and a 40 people enjoyed the food, beverages and communicators in the Southern Central session on e-book self publishing. United States. The first meeting, in 2018, was raffle prizes, which included signed books supported by a Peggy Girshman Idea Grant. David Levine, SWINY co-chair, interviewed by Carl Zimmer, Randi Hutter Epstein, The 2019 meeting was supported in part by two authors on their new books. On Abby Ellin and Gretchen Rubin, all who took sponsorships from Texas A&M University January 23, he interviewed New York Times part in SWINY book events. Many thanks to Press and Huston-Tillotson University, as contributor Abby Ellin, who discussed her SWINY board member and treasurer Sheila well as many volunteer hours from meeting latest book, Duped: Double Lives, False Sperber Haas for coordinating this event. organizers Juli Berwald, Marc Airhart, Identities and the Con Man I Almost Married Melissa Gaskill, Viviane Callier, and and talked about what science says on why Nichole Bennett. we can so easily be fooled. On April 3, he interviewed Gretchen Rubin on her new book Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Adrianna Acosta is an undergraduate Organize to Make More Room for Happiness. student in biology at the University of Texas FOR A LIST OF ACTIVE at Austin. Gretchen spoke about her book as well as her thoughts on the epidemic of loneliness REGIONAL GROUPS, VISIT which she discussed on CBS This Morning in WWW.NASW.ORG/LOCAL- January. Both events drew about 50 people. SCIENCE-WRITING-GROUPS OR On April 24, SWINY and the Editorial LIBRARY.SCIWRICONGRESS.ORG Freelancers Association held a joint event where members could learn about

32 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters Ben Young Landis Austin Science Writers Science Austin Courtesy of SCONC Courtesy

SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS OF NORTH Country, and a joyous reunion at the Players’ Communicators Science Capital CAROLINA (@SCONC): SCONC continued Retreat in Raleigh with former SCONC board to cosponsor a popular series of monthly member Holly Menninger, who now works pizza lunches featuring scientific talks. for the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minn. Previous Page: SWINY members socialize; Recent events have focused on the not-so- Every spring, graduate students in the SWINY board member Alan Brown giving out secret lives of single atoms, epigenetics in Triangle put together a conference, the raffle prizes with guest Debbie Irwin.Top: human health and disease, and applying ComSciCon Triangle, that provides science Russ Campbell of SCONC and Kelly Tyrrell of precision medicine to perinatal depression. communication training for local graduate Badger Science Writers present at the Science During the winter, SCONC hosted its annual students in the sciences. This year, SCONC Talk 2019 conference in Portland, Ore. Above holiday party at the NC Museum of Natural board members Marla Broadfoot, Tamara Left: SCONC President Marla Vacek Broadfoot Sciences in Raleigh, where members noshed Poles, Jory Weintraub and Fenella Saunders gathers colleagues in Raleigh, N.C. Above Middle: on candy canes and played reindeer games. sat on panels and/or served as mentors Austin Science Writers (@atxsciwri) hosted a In January, it organized a private tour for or expert reviewers at this professional professional workshop series in spring 2019 its membership of “The Art of Science and development event. Tamara Poles also with Idea Grant funds. Above Right: Capital Innovation,” a special exhibit at the NC played a huge part in the enormously Science Communicators (@CapSciComm) Museum of Art. successful NC Science Festival, which members celebrate their sixth year of operation in In April, SCONC hosted the latest installment featured more than 400 events throughout Sacramento, Calif. of its Science in the Movies series; this one North Carolina in April. focused on natural disaster films. The event Board member Jennifer Cox, who Other member news: NC State graduate was held at the NC Museum of Natural recently retired from NC State, is on the student Bradley Allf finished a mini- Sciences and was recognized as a signature communications committee for the World documentary about sound pollution; Julie event by the NC Science Festival. SCONC board Conference of Science Journalists that Leibach, a science writer/digital content member Jory Weintraub served as organizer was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in July. specialist for NC Sea Grant, was nominated and emcee, and panelists included film scholar Also, SCONC Founder Russ Campbell of for a 2019 Award for Excellence by NC State’s Marsha Gordon from NC State University, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund moderated Office of Research and Innovation; Yen meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner from WRAL- a panel on “Building Trust in the Fake News Duong, a freelance math and science writer, TV, and climate change expert Jessica Era” at Science Talk 2019, an annual science was a plenary speaker at the University of Whitehead from NC Sea Grant. Other events communication conference that took place Chicago’s Women in STEM Symposium; and included a dinner at the NC Museum of in Portland, Ore., in April. DeLene Beeland started a new contract Natural Sciences with SCONC member Scott position writing for the Emerging Pathogens Huler, author of the new book A Delicious Institute at the University of Florida.

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 33 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SCIENCE WRITERS ASSOCIATION (@NCSWA): At NCSWA’s December holiday dinner meeting, Stanford biologist Deborah Gordon shared insights from her research on the collective behavior of harvester ants and how they maintain their networks without a plan or central control. She has shown how their seemingly tightly controlled organization emerges from rules that individual ants follow. She finds that the human immune system and ant colonies use similar distributed defense strategies to fight off intruders. Amber Dance January offered a tour — and a sampling of the products — at St. George’s Spirits, a distillery on the former Naval Air Station in Alameda, near Oakland. Attendees learned how luxury liquors are produced, getting a close look at the copper stills and other equipment that turns out their craft brandy, vodka, gin, and flavored liqueurs. The tour concluded with a guided tasting of up to six of their spirits, from Green Chile Vodka and American Whiskey to Raspberry Brandy and Spiced Pear Liqueur. At a spring dinner meeting, writers learned how smartphones have been transformed into diagnostic devices by coupling their sophisticated imaging capabilities with lenses and software for examining the retina. Berkeley bioengineer Daniel Fletcher described how his lab has developed a

hand-held, user-friendly version of the eye Sutherland Stephani doctor’s ophthalmoscope and is working with clinical partners to detect retinal Allie Akmal disease caused by diabetes. His team is and Sciences, Viterbi School of Engineering, now working on a project to tackle river and Office of the Provost. blindness in West Africa using a portable smartphone-based microscope that can Held at USC’s new Michelson Center for at the USC Viterbi Interaction Lab, which determine in a pinprick of blood if a drug for Convergent Biosciences, the day started develops socially assistive robots to help the disease can be safely given to patients. with a plenary session on science video the elderly and people with special needs. featuring Derek Muller, creator of the The afternoon wrapped up with an editor To celebrate Earth Day, about a dozen 5-million-plus subscriber YouTube channel meet-and-greet for freelancers and a happy NCSWA members volunteered to restore Veritasium; Jess Phoenix, a volcanologist hour. A field trip to Santa Catalina Island, Codornices Creek in Berkeley, working and founder of Blueprint Earth; Megan originally scheduled for Sunday, May 19, was with a group that mobilizes locals to Chao, a documentary filmmaker and postponed owing to (unseasonable!) storms restore watersheds from North Berkeley to adjunct professor at USC; and Kyle McClary, in the region. Richmond. The creek is home to steelhead/ cofounder of Bridge Art + Science Alliance Special thanks to the following people for rainbow trout and an urban oasis for birds, (BASA) at USC. insects, and other local wildlife. organizing the event: SoCal Science Writing The speakers gave tips about writing for steering committee members Amber Dance, SOCAL SCIENCE WRITING video formats, finding the entertainment Kate Gammon, Linda Marsa, Mallory (@SCIWRITESOCAL) AND SAN DIEGO value in science stories, using new formats Pickett, Jessie Hendricks, Ingrid Lobet and SCIENCE WRITERS ASSOCIATION (@ like VR, and making a profit on YouTube. Casey Rentz; SANDSWA board members SANDSWA2): Southern California science Other sessions covered investigative Ramin Skibba, Steve Murray, and Allie writers had more than the Game of Thrones reporting, reporting fellowships, climate Akmal; and Emily Gersema, associate finale to look forward to on the third change, and data journalism. The afternoon director of communications at USC’s weekend in May. Eighty communicators featured several lab tours, including a look Dornsife College. gathered at the University of Southern California on May 18 for the second annual SoCal Science Writing Symposium (pictured, upper right), organized by SoCal SEND REGIONAL GROUPS SUBMISSIONS TO Science Writing and San Diego Science SUZANNE CLANCY AT [email protected] Writers Association (SANDSWA) with support from USC’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts

34 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters Second SciWriCongress Convening at Penn State Marla Broadfoot (president, Science Communicators of North Carolina) and Ben Young Landis (executive co-chair, Capital Science Communicators) are happy to report that they are convening another gathering of regional groups at the NASW meeting in the fall. SciWriCongress 2019: The Second Congress of Regional Science Writers Groups will take place on Friday, October 25th. This year will feature more time for problem-solving and discussions, and a whole new patriotic mix tape. All NASW members are welcome, whether you are already a leader of a regional group or interested in starting one of your own. If you would like more information, email [email protected].

All photos: Ben Young Landis

www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters | #SciWri19

ScienceWriterstm | Summer/Fall 2019 | 35 SCIWRI LIFE

Brands and products depicted do not constitute as endorsement by NASW. Both the author and NASW declare no conflicts of interest nor compensation received for items listed. Photo: Wudan Yan The Green Place Independent journalist Wudan Yan (@wudanyan) juggles field reporting from Myanmar and other global locales with writing and fact-checking assignments from her home office in Seattle.

Since I split my time heavily between my — and keeps my laptop and other gear dry MENTIONS: Double Layer Electronic home office and somewhere on the road, when I’m biking around town. Accessories Organizer by BUBM • Fitzroy I keep items around that bring me extra At home, my office is replete with an external backpack by Mission Workshop • Soft Cover comfort and joy. monitor, USB mouse, and paper shredder. Notebook by Moleskine • Pavilion 21.5- On the road, I bring as little with me as My printer is in the other room: I edit my inch monitor by HP • MM057 2.4G wireless possible but also have creature comforts — stories by hand — print out the stories portable mobile mouse by VicTsing • Alocasia Calathea packable TRX straps for a quick workout and and mark them up with colored pens — so House plants by sp., sp. a Theraband to stretch out sore muscles. having something for small print jobs is But I also need to keep organized. One of my indispensable. My soft-cover notebook favorite pieces of travel gear is an electronic keeps me organized for day-to-day tasks; my accessories organizer. It keeps my charging USB mouse helps keep the carpal tunnel at cables, outlet converter, Kindle, camera bay; and my external monitor is essential for battery charger, headphones, a pouch for story research. SIM and SD cards, all in one place. But the most essential part of being at SHARE YOUR FAVORITE And I don’t leave my home without my trusty home for me is actually being surrounded WORK TOOLS, FIELD GEAR, backpack (not pictured). At 40 liters, it is by greenery. My plants are essential for my OR OFFICE SETUP! enough for a quick weekend trip, good for sanity — and offer a much needed small rainy season in tropical countries I travel to green space as I work. — Wudan Yan TWEET YOUR PHOTO WITH #SCIWRILIFE

36 | www.nasw.org | @ScienceWriters REPORTERS: Credible evidence, ready to use. Media briefings on science topics. Expert-vetted fact sheets. Reporter trainings.

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Congratulations Pennsylvania State University for hosting ScienceWriters2019! We’re excited to follow in your footsteps. Join us at CU Boulder, a top science and technology hub, for ScienceWriters2020.

#1 public university Top 10 university #1 place for for NASA awards for sustainability entrepreneurs (NCES Data, 2018) (Princeton Review, 2017) (Livability, 2016) National Association of Science Writers PO Box 7905 Berkeley CA 94707

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The American Association for Cancer Research announces the June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism, a $5,000 cash award recognizing journalists who have produced accurate, informative, and compelling stories about cancer and cancer research. The AACR Biedler Prize is open to print, broadcast, and online professional journalists whose stories appear in media that target the lay public. Deadline for 2020 submissions: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 Stories must be published or broadcast for the fi rst time between December 1, 2018, and November 1, 2019.

The 2020 AACR Biedler Prize will be presented during the AACR Annual Meeting, April 24-29, 2020, in San Diego. To learn more or to submit a story, please visit AACR.org/BiedlerPrize

THE AACR CONGRATULATES THE 2019 AWARDEES:

LARGE“NEWSPAPER“ ONLINE–MULTIMEDIA Jacqueline Charles and Michele Gershberg José Antonio Iglesias Reuters.com Miami Herald TELEVISION MAGAZINE A.J. Lagoe and JeŠ Kummer Adam Piore KARE 11 MIT Technology Review RADIO ONLINE–MULTIMEDIA Rob Stein Caroline Chen and Riley Wong NPR ProPublica and STAT News

Learn more: AACR.org • blog.aacr.org • [email protected] Follow us! DONATDONE ATE