Summer 2009

From the Chair

New members

Sci Comm news

Eurochat

Feature: The day CERN was more popular than NASA

Feature: Biding time

Feature: The importance
of good design

Feature: From around the world

Event Report: The
numbers game

Event Report: When lives are on the line

Event Report: The new media officers

Event Report: Achieving global coverage

Interview: Ian Sample,
The Guardian

Stempra newsletter

From the Chair

The silly season is upon us again although it’s increasingly difficult to tell – it’s as busy as ever.

Thank you to those who made it to our AGM in April. It was an excellent turnout and there was some lively and serious discussion around the proposal to extend the committee and whether that was the best way forward. Indeed it raised a broader issue about the Stempra constitution itself.

It is an excellent sign that we have a membership that cares about these things and it prompted us to discuss what might need to be done to ensure Stempra is delivering everything it needs to its membership and that decisions made by the committee are communicated clearly and transparently back to members.

While the motion itself to extend the committee to 15 members was passed, it prompted me to reflect on why Stempra was originally set up, what its aims and objectives were and whether these still hold true for today.

We have therefore set up a small subgroup to look at the original constitution and we will be consulting closely with a number of the founding members of Stempra and those who have been closely involved with the group over the years. We hope to bring the constitution up-to-date and we will be communicating more about this in coming weeks. Although we don’t envisage any major changes, we do want to ensure that the work of the committee is clear, transparent and serving the needs of our members.

There seems to have been an abundance of science communication activity of late. Stempra held a fascinating session on new media with a focus on the pros and cons of Twitter at the Science Communication Conference in June. A few brave sceptics dared raise concerns in among those tweeting frantically from the room, and Pam Agar from Imperial College London gave a great presentation on how a simple and inexpensive Flip Video Camcorder can transform the output of a press officer with the press of a button…or two.

A new case study on scientists successfully engaging with the media was also launched at the conference – see the news piece on Hype, Hope and Hybrids for a link to the report itself. The session at the conference was chaired by a rather excitable Fiona Fox from the Science Media Centre tempered by an insightful presentation from Geoff Watts, the editor of the report, and an analysis from the Cardiff School of Journalism of the actual coverage generated as the HFE Bill progressed through parliament. However, the star of the show was undeniably Robin Lovell-Badge, who explained why the misery of broadcast interviews in lonely studios at ungodly hours of the day and night ultimately paid off.

I was also lucky enough to attend some, if not all, of the 6th World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ2009). It smashed all expectations in terms of attendance with over 900 delegates from around the world crammed into Westminster Central Hall. It offered a packed programme of speakers on issues you felt you couldn’t afford to miss, even in the sweltering conditions. Well done to Pallab Ghosh, Sallie Robins and Julie Clayton for making it happen.

Of course, Stempra couldn’t bear to miss out on the action, so we held a sell out event called Achieving Global Coverage for Science. Journalists from all around the world told press officers and science communicators how to make the most of media in their country and the challenges that both journalists and press officers face.

I did think for a moment that the world had gone mad in the session on embargoes, chaired by an even more excitable Fiona Fox. Two years after Stempra’s first session on embargoes, the journalists finally decide to wade in and the debate rumbles on. Tara Womersley, journalist-turned-press officer, gives her take on embargoes in this newsletter.

Mind you, there are other things we should be worrying about over and beyond whether embargoes work or not. One of the depressing topics of conversation running throughout all these activities had to be the global cutbacks in journalism and specialist and science correspondents in particular. Plenty of concerns being aired but sadly very few solutions being proffered.

Finally, it only leaves me to formally welcome the new committee and flag to you that Lucy Goodchild is our new Secretary, Jenny Gimpel, our new Events Coordinator and Laura Nelson, our new Newsletter Editor. Robbie Walker remains in post as Treasurer and Simon Levey as Web Editor and I remain as Chair.

So, as ever do please get in touch with us with any feedback, ideas or just plain hot gossip for the newsletter and do make suggestions for events you’d like us to run or you’d like to organise yourselves.

May you all have a wonderful summer and I hope the enquiries don’t get too silly. If they do, please share them!

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

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