Autumn 2007

From the Chair

New members

Sci Comm news

Eurochat

Feature: When good PR becomes bad science

Feature: Do engineers need a face lift?

Event Report: Out of the listings and into the news

Event Report: Radiation in the news

Interview: John Davidson, Medical Research Council's Chief Press Officer

Stempra newsletter - Autumn 2007

From the Chair
Katrina Nevin-Ridley tries to see both sides of the argument, when science and journalism collide.

News:

Upcoming events
New members
Sci Comm news
Eurochat

Features:

When good PR becomes bad science, it's a stunt too far
Elspeth Bartlet, External Communications Manager for The Cnap Artemisia Research Project at the University of York, is really bugged by the Splat-o-meter as a PR stunt, but how far really is too far?

Do engineers need a facelift?
The Science Media Centre's Engineering Press Officer, Lyndal Gully, asks what it will take to get engineers on the news agenda. Bigger beards? Brighter hard-hats? More fluoro-vests?

Event Reports:

Out of the listings and into the news - Making your event newsworthy
Craig Brierley reports on July's Stempra event, where publicity gurus Sallie Robins and Lauren Gildersleve explored what you can do to spice up your event PR and get those column-inches.

From mobile phones to Polonium-210 - Radiation in the news
At May's Science in the News event, the Health Protection Agency's radiation expert, Mike Clark, talked about his take on the public's perception of health risk. Claire Bithell picks out a few things we should all understand better about the media's reporting of risks in society.

Interview:

John Davidson, Medical Research Council
What does it really take to be Chief Press Officer at the MRC? Flair and charisma, tact and charm, keeping a level-head under extreme pressure? Or is it all about picnics in Regents Park with Colin Blakemore...

This newsletter is edited by Claire Bithell, Science Media Centre, with help from Simon Levey, Science Media Centre and Simon Wilde, Medical Research Council. For feedback, comments or suggestions of topics to cover, please contact cbithell@ri.ac.uk

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