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List members (particularly new joiners) may be interested in the below.

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Stempra would like to invite you to a free science press officer training day we are organising at the Geological Society of London, Friday 16^th March (10:30am-4pm), followed by networking and drinks.

 

The event – which received excellent feedback from last year’s attendees – is to give those who are new, or fairly new, to science press work an overview of the field. This event may also be suitable for experienced press officers who would like to refresh or update their skills, those moving to work on science from other areas, or those for whom science forms only a part of a wider remit.

 

Topics include:

• What national news journalists need from you
• Top tips for doing science press work, including:
• Tips on writing press releases
• Dealing with statistics
• When to use exclusives
• How to get your organisation on side
• Embargoes
• How to manage a bad news story
• Debate over the role of a science press officer, including discussions about peer review, hype, ethics, and dealing with controversial science

 

Confirmed speakers include:

• David Spiegelhalter, Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk – Tips to help press officers make sense of statistics and avoid common mistakes
• Wendy Jarrett, Associate Director, Media Relations, NICE – Crisis communications

 

There will also be a panel of UK national news/ science journalists and leading science press officers, including:

• Linda Geddes, New Scientist
• Alice Henchley, Senior Press Officer, Royal Society
• Kerry Noble, Communications Manager, Queen Mary, University of London

 

The event will be divided up into two sessions with lunch break (lunch will be provided), and we’ll finish off over a glass of wine and the opportunity to network informally with your peers. We’ll get back to you with the agenda and other information nearer the time.

 

The event is completely free of charge.  However, owing to the size of the lecture theatre, numbers will be limited. We are keen to give these limited places to those who will benefit most from this event, so please contact us for a place only if you are new to the area or really feel you would benefit from updating your skills.

 

Please do not request a place unless you are absolutely sure you can attend this session and it is definitely in your diary. Places are limited and the demand for places is likely to be higher than we can accommodate.

 

If you wish to attend then please send your name, job title, institutional e-mail address and phone number(s) to [log in to unmask]  Please do not reply to this email as you will reply to the whole list.

 

If you have any colleagues who might be interested in this event, please pass this onto to them.