This message comes from the Public Engagement with Science list. It strikes me that this training day might be of interest to several members of Radstats. The e-mail below explains clearly how to apply, and how to join the PSCI-COM list.

Best

Jeff

Dr. Jeff Evans

Reader Emeritus in Adults' Mathematical Learning

Economics & Statistics Dept.

Middlesex University Business School

London NW4 4BT, UK

From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robin Wil kinson
Sent: 13 February 2012 16:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PSCI-COM] Invite - science press officer training day

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

< /span>

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.

********************************************************************** Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html You may also change your settings and subscribe/unsubscribe to psci-com from the web site.

Psci-com is part of the National Academic Mailing List Service, known as 'JISCMail'. It adheres to the JISCMail Acceptable Use Policy: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/policyandsecurity/acceptabl euse.html and to the JISCMail guidelines for etiquette: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/policyandsecurity/etiquette.html

Email commands: 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example, send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] with the following message:

set psci-com nomail -- [include hyphens]

2. To resume email from the list, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message:

set psci-com mail -- [include hyphens]

3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message:

leave psci-com -- [include hyphens]

Please allow up to 24 hours for these commands to activate. Remember that you will need to send c ommands using the same email address that you used to register on psci-com. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to: [log in to unmask]

**********************************************************************