Summer 2007

From the Chair

Stempra AGM 2007

Dummies at Westminster (and some mannequins)

Science advice for government? It's in the POST

Science communication with MPs

Saving British Science; Interview with Peter Cotgreave

The BA Science Communication Conference, any good, or not?

Eurochat

Stempra newsletter

From the Chair

I am delighted to be taking up the role of Chair of Stempra. I was recently at the Cheltenham Science Festival and was struck by the sheer variety of events and by the excellent attendance. Whether you were in swaying room only for the Science of Cider, or trying to catch a celebrity fix with former Blur man Alex James or whether fertility, brainwashing or climate change were more your thing - there was something for everyone. What struck me was the pitch of the events - giving just the right balance of being accessible yet intellectually stimulating whether you were coming as a complete novice or with some level of expertise.

I hope that Stempra will generate some of that excitement about science and how it is communicated. Science is finally catching up on the communications front. Up and down the country university press offices are expanding and more scientists are taking the plunge and choosing to engage with journalists rather than hoping those media enquiries might just go away if they refuse to own a mobile phone. I believe that Stempra provides an excellent forum for PR professionals involved in the science sector to share ideas and good practice in their field, offering real support to press officers both newly appointed and more experienced. There are currently few professional development opportunities for PR professionals in this field and limited opportunities for sharing experience and discussing the challenge of presenting science accurately in mainstream news and communicating our organisations' objectives and outcomes.

I bring to the position my experiences of working in both a university press office, with the conflicting demands that it presents, and in one of the UK's major research funders, which reaches out to many different organisations. I see the role of Chair of Stempra as an opportunity to raise the profile of the organisation and to offer a consistent range of activities for members across the UK to get involved with. I see a number of key issues I would like to address in the short to medium term, which include:

• Raising awareness of Stempra to relevant PRs throughout the UK.
• Finding out and addressing what science PRs would find most useful in terms of professional development and networking events.
• Offering a relevant and engaging annual events programme to address these needs.
• Rolling out Stempra activities throughout the UK.
• Increasing the membership of Stempra against a set objective, in particular outside London.
• Supporting press officers in winning the internal PR battle, convincing their Directors or Vice Chancellors that PR is an essential tool for promoting their organisation.

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