At the Board Meeting

The NASW board just finished its meeting. No spoilers for the business meeting tomorrow. Primarily we were there to think big and long-term. We're working on a vision statement for NASW that encompasses the turmoil in science journalism over the past few years (and what we hope are some values that should remain constant). And with those guiding principles in mind, we figured out a few key goals for the next few years--new approaches to outreach, membership, and the structure and purpose of NASW that we hope will address some longstanding concerns of members. Nobody escaped without new committee assignments and new responsibilities for those committees.

If you're wondering, as I used to, what board members actually talk about: Turns out it's almost all about figuring out what members need, and then doing that.

More info tomorrow at the NASW business meeting, 8 to 9 am, as well as on the new NASW.org website.

Point and shoot

It’s happening. Publications everywhere are adding video and audio clips to their Web sites, uploading everything from standalone teasers and interviews with prominent researchers, to “This-is-how-it-really-works” demonstrations.

And science writers who love their keyboards and like to keep within easy reach of their desk and coffee mug find themselves nudged out the office door with a handy-cam and tripod strapped to their back, and told to return with tasty footage, or not return at all.

To turn out quick, clean, web-friendly video, what do science writers need to know? Find out on Saturday, when I’ll blog on the video workshop “Producing video, on camera and off” led by video veterans Christine Nicholson, contributing video editor at Scientific American and co-creator of “Science of Sex,” and Eric R. Olson, resident audio and video editor at Nature Publishing Group.

I’ll post Nicholson’s and Olson’s tips for video production and storytelling, from presenting yourself on camera (don’t pick your nose) and interviewing (don’t make the scientist cry) to shooting and camera-handling.

I’m Nidhi Subbaraman, a graduate student fellow at NASW this year. I was a biochemistry major once, and graduated in September from MIT’s science writing program. I’ve written for Technology Review, Nature Biotechnology, and New Scientist on biomedical engineering, magic materials, and scientists who like to dance. More by me at my website.

Tweeting the meeting

I'm Beth Skwarecki, one of the NASW freelance travel fellows. I'm a freelancer based in Pittsburgh, PA (previously Ithaca, NY) and I'm excited to be part of ScienceWriters 2010.

I'll be tweeting several of the sessions on Saturday from @BethSkw, including Get the numbers right and The social web and online commenting - and then I'll keep on tweeting from the CASW sessions too.

While tweeting is a great way to capture an event in real-time, I'll also be following the blog posts here for the more digested, thoughtful takes on the sessions. Comparing the two will be interesting for those who have asked "what's the point of tweeting a conference?" ... a question that I wonder about too. We're asking tweeters to use the tag #sciwri10 so we can all find each other's posts. For an alternate view of the twitter chatter with that tag, check out this "daily newspaper" version of the feed.

I first signed up for twitter while at ScienceWriters2008, and it's become a huge part of how I keep up with science writing and how I connect with other writers, scientists, and friends. This year I'm trying out another service, foursquare, while I'm in New Haven. That means I'll be "checking in" to locations around town - the Omni will be a frequent one, I'm sure - so if you'd like to join me in my experiment, find me there by my twitter handle.

Even after the meeting, you can follow me on twitter for short posts and links, mainly about what goes on inside the human body - biology, health, genetics, fitness, and more.

I also blog (but less frequently) at bethskw.com. When I'm not writing, you can find me tutoring, singing, crafting, running, parenting (I have a 1-year-old), or tearing up the roller derby track as Cruisin' B. Anthony with the Steel City Derby Demons.

A whole new world

I'm Catherine Meyers, a graduate student in the science communication program at UC Santa Cruz. On Saturday I will be blogging from the session "A global science writing community: Gearing up for the World Conference of Science Journalists 2011." I am excited to learn about the world of science writing outside of the United States.

Some of my favorite memories are from the time I spent abroad, studying in Scotland, researching alternative energy for a summer in England, and serving in the Peace Corps in Ukraine. Travel offers adventure, mystery, and the opportunity to learn and explore, some of the very same attractions that drew me to science writing.

Hello ScienceWriters!

Hi! I’m Susan Young, NASW graduate travel fellow and UC Santa Cruz Science Communication student. I'm looking forward to a fun and informative weekend at my first ScienceWriters meeting.

Before the Science Communication program, I was a molecular biology doctoral student at UC Berkeley. There, I got my first taste for science writing as a contributor to the Berkeley Science Review, a campus science magazine. After writing about earthquakes, human biology, and synthetic chemistry, I was hooked on the idea of a career that allowed me to be a lifelong student of science.

Look for my blog post covering Saturday morning’s “Your next book will be a pixel: navigating e-books and e-rights.” I'm excited to hear how authors can best use new mediums like the Kindle and iPad while still protecting their pixelated prose. Speakers Jason Allen Ashlock of Moveable Type Literary Group, Brandon Badger of Google Books, Guy LeCharles Gonzalez of Digital Book World, and Debbie Stier of HarperCollins will share their insights and experiences in the digital publishing world.

See you in New Haven!

We're A Sell-Out!

And other journalists out there in Twitter-ville already are jealous of us. This from @ReportingHealth:

ReportingHealth Reporting on Health 

This sounds awesome. Unfortunately, it's closed to new applicants. ScienceWriters2010 meeting http://bit.ly/aWSVTC

The link takes you to a post from NASW's director noting that SciWri10 is completely full, with no capacity for on-site or late registrations. Now, I'm not hugely experienced in these things, but this likely is one of the first times this has happened! I believe it's a good omen for science journalism that so many people are clamoring for what NASW has to offer. I'm particularly jazzed by the number of trained scientists who want to identify themselves as science communicators. I'm also encouraged by the increasing popularity of such books as Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy by Robert Hazen and James Trefil. First published circa 1990, I believe, it appears to have been updated/refreshed and released in 2009 as a new paperback. IMHO, this should be required reading for every 8th or 9th grade student in the United States.

I'd also like to draw more attention within journalism circles to the work being done by the good people at ReportingonHealth.org. The tagline is that the group is "non-profit, non-partisan and educational" and "offers professional resources and community for journalists covering health issues." But it's so much more! As part of the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships at USC's Annenberg School for Communication, it has a number of grant-funded journalists producing much-needed work. Among my favorites are The ReportingonHealth Daily Briefing by ReportingonHealth's deputy editor Barbara Feder Ostrov, and Antidote: New Ways to Investigate Untold Health Stories by contributing editor William Heisel. I've heard some discussion in the past about the similarities and differences between science writers and health writers, but when it comes to supporting continuing education of any kind for working journalists, I'm a true believer.

Looking forward to my upcoming continuing education at SciWri10 starting tomorrow!

Blogging the big books

Hi everyone, I'm Stephen Ornes. I'm an NASW Travel Fellow this year, and I'll be blogging on the Saturday afternoon session titled "Great science writing II: Building the big book." I always get a kick out of Jennifer Ouellette's blog, "Cocktail Party Physics," and I'm looking forward to hearing her talk about moving from blogger to book author. I'm also looking forward to hearing prolific freelancer Carl Zimmer, who seems to have an infinite supply of illuminating turns of phrase and new ideas. (I'm looking forward to hearing from all of the authors, but I come across these two more often than most.)

I'm a freelancer based in Nashville. Until a year ago I lived in New Haven, and this conference will be a welcome chance to revisit old haunts and see old friends. Carl Zimmer has organized a pre-conference get-together at Yale's Beineke Library on Friday night, and I encourage everyone to go. If not for the company, then for the building itself. It's breathtaking: The walls are made of thinly-sliced marble that infuses the whole space with a calming glow, and in the middle is a glass tower full of books, books, books.

I'm a 2006 graduate of the MIT program in science writing, and I've been freelancing ever since. I've written for a wide range of outlets on a wide range of topics, though most of my articles are about astronomy, mathematics, or cancer research. I'm also a fact-checker. This is my third NASW conference, and to celebrate I'm moderating a panel called "Get the numbers right." I've invited two top-notch speakers to talk about issues related to statistics, and I'm probably more excited than anyone about hearing them talk. I feel fortunate that both of them are able to attend.

See you at the cabaret!