Re the UKCSJ and students – can I just point out that surely students are interested in more than ‘events aimed at students’ any session that discusses issues relevant to the profession of science journalism (well that would be all the sessions then) should be of interest to someone who is planning to work in this field.    Sallie

From: [log in to unmask]">Mico Tatalovic

To: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 11:08 PM

Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Science media awards?

 

 

It's not all as bleak as my e-mail might have suggested, but it's not as rosy as some of you seem to think. But it's nice to see that people do help out student wannabe science journalists.

 

Don't get me wrong, my experience with individual science journalists has been excellent, several people helped me out a lot and gave valuable and friendly advice.

 

I'm aiming my criticism more at the system, so to speak.

 

For example, I am a member of ABSW, but haven't found student membership so relevant really - they hardly ever have anything directly aimed at students or organised by students. This 'minimal fee' is still 20 pounds + 5 pounds joining fee for jobless students, and they get no voting rights (a paid professional only pays 40 pounds for membership) so students are hardly getting a good deal there. If ABSW was really interested in helping out students it would offer such a scaled down membership for free, or for a token charge, or if charging then at least organise some events that would be specific for their student members. Indeed from ABSW's report it seems to me that student members are solicited more for their fees than anything else: http://www.absw.org.uk/component/content/article/8-annualreport/474-absw-agm-2010-minutes

 

ABSW received £40,000 as its share of the profits of the World Conference, the same conference students had to cash out over 200 pounds to attend, regardless of their membership. Alternatively they could have offered their labour for free and get in 'for free', but that's not quite the same as being there as delegates.

 

The upcoming UK Conference of Science Journalists will probably have nothing about or specifically for students. I suggested such sessions for both this and the BA Science Communication conference, but such topics are not deemed relevant. That's fair enough - but that's also my point, there doesn't really seem to be much genuine interest for or engagement with student journalists or their media. Even though there is a strong, if somewhat unconnected community of keen students across the UK who aspire to become science journalists. It sometimes feels like they are perceived as flooding the already overflowing market and threatening our jobs. Imagine if this was how scientists on tight budgets saw their students!

 

I wonder if all of these talks where journalists speak to students are initiated by students? I.e. these students are so keen and organised and in such a lack of face-to-face experience with real science journalists that they take it upon themselves to approach journalists and organise such talks for their student colleagues. Cambridge is a good example of that with BlueSci journalists often doing just this. Indeed, often the speakers will be BlueSci magazine alumni, with a clear appreciation of how involvement with a student science medium helped their career.

 

Instead of survival of the fittest, here, it would actually be nice to have some intelligent design. From my experience, student science journalists, regardless of whether they are enrolled on a course or not, need and cherish any support they get from the professional science writers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

Mico Tatalovic, BA (Oxon), MPhil (Cantab), MSc & DIC (Imperial)

---

Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:47:21 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Science media awards?
To: [log in to unmask]

Can you back up that notion that “there seems to be little support for, or interest in student science journalism by the professional science writing community in the UK”?

 

Is this from personal experience?

 

Julie has already pointed you toward the ABSW’s student group. (She did not mention the fact that fees for student members are minimal.)

 

You will also find that several important media places have student internships – they even pay the students, unlike many outlets, where you need rich parents to qualify.

 

Science media places also host placements for students on science media courses.

 

Many science writers also spend time giving talks to student groups. I gave one earlier this month.

 

Many science writers also respond as helpfully as we can with free advice when would-be science writers seek our advice. Indeed, one person on this list recently sought my advice on courses. My guess is that other writers receive similar approaches.

 

When it could raise the funds, the ABSW ran a bursaries scheme for students on science media courses. (Anyone with a few million to spare might well encounter a willingness to resume such schemes.)

 

If you mean that publications don't fall over themselves to publish the work of students, that is a different issue. Freelance writers also have the same beef. There are many more words available than there are places to put them.

 

I’m not saying that you are wrong. Just that a bit of evidence might help us to do something about it.

 

As to “survival of the fittest”, it is called life. What do you advocate in its place? Special treatment of some sort?

 

Make use of the various routes that I have outlined and you could be fitter than the competition.

 

_______________________________

Michael Kenward OBE

Have words will travel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mico Tatalovic
Sent: 16 March 2010 21:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Science media awards?

 

 

> To be fair to the Guardian Student Media Awards, Imperial's science magazine
> 'I, Science' has done fairly well in it. They've finished runner-up in the
> Best Student Magazine category twice in the last five years. Pretty good
> going for a 'niche' science magazine.

 

At the same time the Guardian Student Media Awards never had a 'best science writer' category, which seems a shame, especially when you're an aspiring student science journalist...

But then again, there seems to be little support for, or interest in student science journalism by the professional science writing community in the UK. Students are generally left to battle it out for themselves.. the survival of the fittest indeed.

 

 

---

Mico Tatalovic, BA (Oxon), MPhil (Cantab), MSc & DIC (Imperial)




> Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:53:31 +0000
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Science media awards?
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> To be fair to the Guardian Student Media Awards, Imperial's science magazine
> 'I, Science' has done fairly well in it. They've finished runner-up in the
> Best Student Magazine category twice in the last five years. Pretty good
> going for a 'niche' science magazine.
>
>
> --
> Mun-Keat Looi
> Science Writer
> Publishing Group
> The Wellcome Trust
> Telephone: +44 (0)20 7611 7382
> Fax: +44 (0)20 7611 8242
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Google Wave: [log in to unmask]
>
> http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
> Follow the Wellcome Trust on Twitter: www.twitter.com/wellcometrust
>
> The Wellcome Trust is a charity registered in England, no. 210183. Its sole
> Trustee is The Wellcome Trust Limited, a company registered in England, no.
> 2711000, whose registered office is 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK.
>
>
> > From: Catherine Davies <[log in to unmask]>
> > Reply-To: "psci-com: on public engagement with science"
> > <[log in to unmask]>
> > Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:32:39 +0000
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: [PSCI-COM] Science media awards?
> >
> > As the Guardian Student Media Awards have slimmed down their categories
> > this year making prospects for niche publications rather gloomier, I¹m looking
> > for other Science Writing competitions in the UK, with categories for whole
> > publications instead of/as well as individual writer awards. Can anyone help?
> >
> > **********************************************************************
> > 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]
> >
> > 4. 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
> >
> > 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and
> > science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk
> >
> > 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to
> > mailto:[log in to unmask]
> > **********************************************************************
>
>
>
> This message has been scanned for viruses by Websense Hosted Email Security - www.websense.com
>
> **********************************************************************
> 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]
>
> 4. 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
>
> 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk
>
> 6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask]
> **********************************************************************

 

---

Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

********************************************************************** 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]
4. 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
5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk
6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] **********************************************************************

********************************************************************** 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]
4. 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
5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk
6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] **********************************************************************

 

---

Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. Get it now. ********************************************************************** 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]

4. 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

5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk

6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] **********************************************************************

********************************************************************** 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]

4. 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

5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science and society can be found at http://psci-com.ac.uk

6. To contact the Psci-com list owner, please send an email to mailto:[log in to unmask] **********************************************************************