Spring 2008

From the Chair

New members

Sci Comm news
Eurochat

Feature: Promoting conferences

Feature: Wellcome Collection preview

Feature: WCSJ:2009

Event Report: Working with documentary makers

Event Report: Crisis management

Interview: Alok Jha, The Guardian's Science correspondent

Stempra newsletter

From the Chair

As we hurtle into the second month already of 2008, I took a few minutes to think back. It really feels like there's been a bit of a sea change over the last five years or so in how science and research is communicated to the public at large.

It's great to have an insight in this edition of the Newsletter into the views from The Guardian's Alok Jha on what does or doesn't make a story and how science coverage is evolving in the UK. Even more interesting to find out what will make you his favourite or least favourite press officer. I'm sure Stempra members will all be established favourites!

It does seem that Science is finally catching up on the communications front. University press offices and charity communications teams are expanding across the board. With that extra support it follows that more scientists are feeling confident about engaging with journalists and talking about their research to the media. Operations like the Science Media Centre, an independent press office for Science based at the Royal Institution, celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. It has undoubtedly set a gold standard in gaining the confidence of scientists and persuading them to engage with journalists when controversial topics hit the headlines.

On the committee side, we're looking forward to Stempra's AGM. This is your chance to air your views, tell us what you'd like more of and how you think Stempra should be moving forward in the next year. It's been a great year to look back on - membership more than doubled at the end of last year. However, do remember that the New Year signals the time to renew your membership, so do please fill in your forms and send them in. The many highlights of the year were discussed at our last meeting with a heated debate over which events people had enjoyed most. Matt Goode's account of how the BBSRC handled the media around the foot and mouth outbreak received rave reviews as did Dr Mike Clark from National Radiological Protection Board at the Health Protection Agency, who was the science spokesperson at the helm when they announced it was polonium-210 that has been used to poison Alexander Litvinenko. You can't get a science angle more prominently dominating the news agenda than either of those stories.

The event following our AGM promises to be no less controversial as we do battle on the argument over embargoes with a panel of national correspondents. Are the Sundays forever 'leaking' or are all stories fair game anyway? Come and hear how a daily correspondent really feels when a Sunday splashes with their story, find out how the scientific community reacted when the Observer's Robin McKie broke the legendary 'Dolly the sheep' story and finally learn just what does make or break your story getting on to the Today programme.

I'm counting the days!

I look forward to seeing you in the near future at one of our events. Do email us with any feedback as ever. And if you want to make a difference to Stempra and become a committee member yourself then do please get in touch with us before the AGM.

Katrina Nevin-Ridley
Chair of Stempra
chair@stempra.org.uk

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