Lo Swim-team è in partenza per il congresso di Doha

La partecipazione italiana al congresso mondiale dei giornalisti scientifici che inizierà domenica 26 giugno sarà caratterizzata dalla presenza di numerosi iscritti della nostra associazione, in veste di panelist (Gianna Milano, Daniela Ovadia e Fabio Turone) e di delegati (oltre a Nicla Panciera che viene da Trento, dalla Lombardia verranno Mariachiara Albicocco, Amelia Beltramini, Valentina Murelli e Chiara Palmerini, che insieme al collega Alberto Giuffrè hanno beneficiato delle borse messe a bando dall’Ordine dei Giornalisti della Lombardia per i suoi iscritti).
Nella capitale dell’emirato del Qatar contiamo di incontrare centinaia di colleghi da tutto il mondo (e  magari anche altri colleghi italiani) e di discutere del presente e delle prospettive future dell’affascinante professione del giornalista scientifico, che sta attraversando numerose trasformazioni e deve saper cogliere le occasioni di rinnovamento profondo che la situazione di generale crisi del giornalismo porta con sé.

Deep brain stimulation in the media – Daniela Ovadia on Frontiers in Neuroscience

This perspective article written by SWIM board member Daniela Ovadia and Frédéric Gilbert on the peer-reviewed journal “Frontiers in integrative Neuroscience” proposes a new model for a more effective cooperation between the scientific community and the specialised journalists.

It’s certainly worth reading.

Deep brain stimulation in the media: over-optimistic portrayals call for a new strategy involving journalists and scientists in ethical debates

Frédéric Gilbert¹ and Daniela Ovadia^2,3*

• ¹ Ethics and Bionics/Nanomedicine, Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Faculty of Arts, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia
• ² Zoe Agency for Science Information, Milan, Italy
• ³ Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Niguarda Ca’ Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is optimistically portrayed in contemporary media. This already happened with psychosurgery during the first half of the twentieth century. The tendency of popular media to hype the benefits of DBS therapies, without equally highlighting risks, fosters public expectations also due to the lack of ethical analysis in the scientific literature. Media are not expected (and often not prepared) to raise the ethical issues which remain unaddressed by the scientific community. To obtain a more objective portrayal of DBS in the media, a deeper collaboration between the science community and journalists, and particularly specialized ones, must be promoted. Access to databases and articles, directly or through science media centers, has also been proven effective in increasing the quality of reporting. This article has three main objectives. Firstly, to explore the past media coverage of leukotomy, and to examine its widespread acceptance and the neglect of ethical issues in its depiction. Secondly, to describe how current enthusiastic coverage of DBS causes excessive optimism and neglect of ethical issues in patients. Thirdly, to discuss communication models and strategies to enhance media and science responsibility.
Read the full text

Turone and Ovadia in the program of WCSJ Cairo 2011

The preliminary program of the VII World Congress of Science Journalists that will take place in 2011 in Cairo, Egypt, from June 27 to 29, was published in the conference website.

SWIM-SWITY board member Daniela Ovadia and president Fabio Turone will produce a session on bioethics and on risk, respectively.

In the next couple of months the program will be enriched and better defined, so anyone willing to propose a talk or a panel is invited to contact directly the Co-Directors of WCSJ2011 Nadia El-Awady (nadia.elawady (at) wcsj2011.org) and Dalia Abdel-Salam (dalia.sallam (at) wcsj2011.org) or Program Committee Chair Deborah Blum (deborah.blum (at) wcsj2011.org).

For any kind of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact Fabio Turone (turone (at) sciencewriters.it).

 

Fabio Turone and Nadia El-Awady during ESOF's Media Party, at the Museum of Cinema in Turin

Italian Science Writers unite to promote a new vision of their profession in Italy

In addition to the usual role as a guide and a “catalyzer” for professionals often working alone, the Association SWIM-SWITY plans to conduct research on science and science writing, in partnership with colleagues and academic institutions in Italy and abroad

Turin (ESOF 2010) – A new Association of Science Writers was launched in the beginning of 2010 in Milan with the goal of becoming a reference for all professionals interested in promoting cooperation and debate within the professional community and with the scientific community – nationally and internationally – and in supporting multidisciplinary research on all aspects of science and science writing.

The association – called “Science Writers in Milan – in Italy”, SWIM-SWITY in short – is currently composed mostly of science reporters, editors, popularizers and writers in general, but is open to all the professionals involved in the communication of science and about science with a critical approach, particularly through the use of all new media.

Among the first accomplishments of SWIM-SWITY are science writing and health writing courses on the basic tools for the critical appraisal of scientific literature, organised on behalf of the Professional Order of Journalists of Lombardy.

The board of SWIM-SWITY – currently composed by science writers Daniela Ovadia, Guido Romeo (Treasurer) and Fabio Turone (President) – is in the process of applying to both EUSJA and WFSJ for affiliation, and is eager to cooperate with all individuals and organizations sharing the same goals, in Italy and all over the world.

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

I blog di scienza di Science Writers in Italy

Guido Romeo appunti di un giornalista su innovazione, scienza, media, culture e tecnologie	Daniela Ovadia Mente e psiche
Fabio Turone Presente 2.0	Silvia Bencivelli giornalista scientifica
Marco Ferrari Leucophaea	Martha Fabbri you and whose mth (tumblr)
Jacopo Pasotti Scienza e Montagna	Amelia Beltramini Spizzichi e smozzichi
Vito Tartamella Parolacce	Renato Sartini Brains Made in Italy
Peppe Liberti Rangle	Claudia Di Giorgio Storie spaziali