The science that makes a difference in all our lives. Report from the Kavli Prize Week 2018

WFSJ’s vice-president, Milica Momcilovic, represented the Federation at this year’s Kavli Prize Week 2018 in Olso, Norway (1-6 September). It is an immense honor for the WFSJ to be able to participate in this six-day event. We are also grateful to The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the event organizers, and the Kavli Foundation for their commitment and support to science journalism. Since 2012, 23 fellows – science journalists from all over the world – have had the unique opportunity to attend and report on the excellence in science from Norway.READ MORE

“I think that science journalism is so incredibly important” [Alan Alda]

The five fellows, science journalists from China, Colombia, Japan/Australia, Mexico, South Africa, are reporting on the 2018 Kavli Prize Week in Oslo, Norway (1-6 September) using their and our social media channels. This has already resulted in some fun exchanges with presenter, activist, and actor Alan Alda, as well as with laureates Jennifer Doudna (nanoscience), James Hudspeth (neuroscience), and Ewine van Dishoeck (astrophysics). On this page, we have collected some of those memorable encounters.READ MORE

Checking in on Fact Checking in Science Journalism

The Knight Science Journalism at MIT program took a close look at one of science journalism’s most underappreciated practices — and uncovered a few surprises.

“The State of Fact Checking in Science Journalism,” one of the first industry-wide looks at how science news publications go about ensuring the trustworthiness of their reporting. A key takeaway: Different outlets approach the task in vastly different ways.

“So, what is the state of fact-checking? The report seems to confirm at least one long-held suspicion: that support for fact-checking is waning. Only about a third of the publications in the study employ independent fact checkers. About 15% said they rely on copy editors for fact-checking. Others place the onus on journalists and editors, and about a third have no formal fact-checking procedures in place at all.”

Read an excerpt and download the full report here.

FUNDING & TEAM

The study was funded by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, overseen by Knight Science Journalism Program director Deborah Blum, and spearheaded by Brooke Borel, a freelance journalist and editor.

Photo credit: The Climate Reality Project / Unsplash

 

Now out. The July issue of Sayansi with a special focus on HIV/AIDS in Kenya

Our Kenyan Member Association, the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA), publishes SAYANSI, a regular science magazine focusing on science news in Kenya and the wider region. The July issue has a special focus on HIV/AIDS and includes articles on self-testing, halting the spread of the disease, vaccine development, as well as an interesting selection of other science news. Pick-up your copy of SAYANSI here. 

Committee to Protect Journalists: Journalist Safety at the US Border

Are you a journalist whose device was searched at the US border? Were you stopped for extra screening? The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is concerned when authorities target journalists at borders with additional inspections, search their devices, and delay or deny their entry. 

The CPJ and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), on behalf of the ACOS Alliance, have been working to understand the scope of the problems facing journalists entering and exiting the US border. We are also coordinating with a coalition of groups to address these issues and refer individual journalists to advisories and assistance where needed. READ MORE

White paper on artificial intelligence and human development. Ensuring its ethical and equitable use.

The IDRC / CRDI published a white paper on Artificial intelligence and human development. AI’s potential for enhancing development efforts is enormous, but we need to ensure its ethical and equitable use.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to enhance productivity and innovation around the world. The expected benefits promise to be transformative, but the negative repercussions could be magnified in developing countries, where the livelihoods of many people are precarious and social institutions can be fragile. READ MORE

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