Journalists are from Venus, Scientists are from Mars; UMaine to Feature Talk on Bridging Science and Journalism
Contact: Catherine Schmitt, 581-3286
ORONO – Media coverage of environmental debates often shapes public awareness and opinions about science. While scientists play a critical role both as a resource for journalists and as a valuable information source for the public, they are often frustrated with how their work is portrayed in the press.
Two experts in the field of science communication will discuss the roles of scientists and journalists in a seminar at the University of Maine on Friday, Sept. 21. Nancy Baron will give a behind-the-scenes look at how scientific research is covered in the press, and ways to bridge the gap between the two cultures of science and journalism. Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Ken Weiss of the Los Angeles Times will discuss the realities of reporting on science and environment, and provide advice for scientists to keep in mind when talking with reporters.
Baron is a scientist and writer who helps other scientists communicate with the media and the public. Baron is the Ocean Science Outreach Director for COMPASS (Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea). She is also the lead communications trainer for the Aldo Leopold Leadership program, and is currently a center associate fellow at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at University of California Santa Barbara. Baron has won numerous science writing awards and is the author of the popular field guide, “Birds of the Pacific Northwest.”
Weiss and fellow L.A. Times reporter Usha Lee McFarling and photographer Rick Loomis received the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting for their five-part series “Altered Oceans,” described as “richly portrayed reports on the world’s distressed oceans, telling the story in print and online, and stirring reaction among readers and officials.” The series has received many other awards, including the 2007 Science-in-Society journalism award from the National Association of Science Writers.
The seminar will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in 107 Norman Smith Hall on the University of Maine campus in Orono. This event is free and open to the public, and is co-sponsored by the School of Marine Sciences, Maine Sea Grant, and the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research at the University of Maine. For more information, contact Bob Steneck, 207-549-3062, or visit http://www.umaine.edu/waterresearch/esi/esi_seminars.htm