Happy 10th Anniversary to the World Federation of Science Journalists

Ten years ago, in Sao José dos Campos, Brazil, the World Federation of Science Journalists was created and Canadian Véronique Morin was elected its first president. Another ten years earlier, the First World Conference of Science Journalists was held in Tokyo, Japan.

In a series of articles written by some key actors, Véronique Morin remembers the discussions in Brazil that led to WFSJ’s birth; Mariko Takahashi, who was also in Sao José dos Campos, shares her souvenirs about the first World Conference; Arthur Bourne, who masterminded the World Conference and the World Federation, tells about the very first steps taken; Wolfgang Goede compares the situation that existed with what still exists; Jim Cornell puts the World Federation in a broader context; while Jean-Marc Fleury collected the souvenirs of several key actors to describe how each World Conference, beginning with Tokyo in 1992, was another step towards the Sao José dos Campos moment.

Read the whole story on the website of the World Federation!

Get ready for the Helsinki 2013 World Conference of Science Journalists!

We are pleased to circulate this announcement by the Finnish colleague Eeva Pitkälä, Conference Director  of the 8th World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) that will take place in Helsinki from June 24 to 28, 2013.

Dear colleagues,

The first details of WCSJ2013 have now been revealed at a press conference in the AAAS Annual meeting.

The next important WCSJ 2013 dates are Call for session proposals, open on March 1, 2012, exhibition details available by June 2012 and the early registration, that begins September 10, 2012.

WCSJ 2013 takes place right after the Midsummer festivities and thus it is a unique time of the year in Helsinki when the summer nights are nearly as bright as the days. The venue of the conference is the central campus of the University of Helsinki.

In Helsinki, you will meet hundreds of members of WFSJ, aspiring future science journalists, top-level scientists and colleagues from different countries.

- What will make WCSJ2013, Helsinki, a must-attend is its emphasis on creativity and networking. Times certainly are hard for science journalists in Finland and all over the world. Thus, the core of the conference is that our professional questions must be addressed in depth, says Ms. Lipponen, Chair of the Organising Committee and President of the Finnish Association of Science Editors and Journalists, FASEJ.

- In WCSJ2013, having fun is a crucial part of the programme. Achieving good intellectual results by having fun is not far-fetched. According to the International Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, Finland has an excellent reputation in education, – Learning from colleagues is the basic idea behind the Science Journalism COOPeration programmes, a unique effort to train science journalists in developing countries. That is also a good example for us in Helsinki 2013, points Mr. Vesa Niinikangas, the President of WFSJ and General secretary of FASEJ.

Having met many of you in London and Doha and witnessed the great effort and passion you all put into your work, I would love to see you in Helsinki in 2013

Eeva Pitkälä

Conference Director WCSJ 2013, Helsinki, 24 – 28, June 2013

8th World Conference of Science Journalists

eeva.pitkala@wcsj2013.org

www.wcsj2013.org

www.facebook.com/wcsj2013

twitter.com/wcsj2013

Here you can download the pdf of the invitation leaflet.

«Know Thyself» close to 200 responses, also thanks to the WFSJ

Do you want to be the respondent #200?

If so, hurry up! Also thanks to the note published by the World Federation of Science Journalists on its website, we are very close to reaching that goal (but we won’t stop there, for sure).

The state of Science Journalism according to the WFSJ

The World Federation of Science Journalists has recently published in its website the report of the activities in the years 2009-2001 and several documents summarizing the very successful World Conference of Science Journalists held in Doha (Qatar) with an attendance of 800 delegates from 89 countries.

World Conference of Science Journalists in Doha Report is online

WFSJ 2009-2011 Report & minutes of the Doha General Assembly

Apply for a scholarship to the 2012 Kavli Award ceremony in Oslo

From the website of the World Federation of Science Journalists:

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters offers scholarships to cover 2012 awards in Oslo

June 26, 2011 posted in Competitions

There’s a door opening wide into astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience, and science journalists can apply for front-row seats to cover a landmark event honouring researchers in these fields.

The door is in Oslo, Norway, but it’s open for applications from science reporters anywhere – from Chile to China and all points in between.

The $1 million Kavli Prize ceremony is scheduled for Oslo, Sept. 3–6, 2012. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and The Norwegian Ministry of Research and Education are offering up to seven journalists transportation from their home countries, a week’s accommodation, and lectures by some of the world’s best popularizers of science.

They will also attend the Kavli Prize Science Forum with the 2012 topic being “science and global health.”

The World Federation of Science Journalists will choose the journalists on behalf of by the Norwegian ministry and academy and winners will be announced during the 2012 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Feb. 16–20, in Vancouver, Canada.

Scientists in the running for the $1 million Kavli prizes for 2012 will be chosen in May or June of next year by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and will be presented by King Harald of Norway in September.

The Kavli Prize is a partnership between The Kavli Foundation, The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The scholarships are funded by the Norwegian ministry and academy.

The Kavli Foundation is the brainchild of Norwegian-born Fred Kavli, a physicist and entrepreneur who came to the United States after the Second World War and invented flight control sensors for aircraft, devices which operate in most commercial and military aircraft today.

In a 2007 interview with actor Alan Alda on the foundation website http://www.kavlifoundation.org/fred-kavli, Kavli said that after he sold his business in 2000 he wanted to “do something of long-range benefit to human beings,” and do it in his chosen field of science, “especially physics.” (Alda, along with Åse Kleveland, former Norwegian culture minister, hosted the 2010 Kavli Awards ceremony.) For their founder, the Kavli Awards – in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience – were defined to encompass everything “from the biggest, to the smallest, to the most complex” knowledge being pursued by researchers today.

Applications should be emailed to WFSJ info@wfsj.org by Jan. 15, 2012. An application package should include the journalist’s CV and co-ordinates, identification pages from his or her passport, three articles or audio/video files on astrophysics, nanoscience or neuroscience (in the original language), and a one-page essay in English on why the applicant should win this competition.

WCSJ 2011: Qualche immagine da Doha

Mentre il congresso mondiale dei giornalisti scientifici è ancora in corso a Doha, ecco alcune immagini del folto gruppo di giornalisti italiani (in grandissima parte “Swimmers”), con un saluto affettuoso alla collega e amica Gianna Milano che all’ultimo momento ha dovuto rinunciare a venire. (Grazie a Nicla Panciera per le foto)

Una parte della rappresentanza italiana. Da sinistra verso destra, in prima fila: Chiara Albicocco, Giovanni Spataro, Valentina Murelli e Amelia Beltramini

La discussione sulla bioetica, con Daniela Ovadia nel ruolo di producer e speaker (a sinistra nella foto), con il moderatore Jon Cohen e i due speaker Eric Racine e Joe Palca

La sessione sul rischio e i media, con David Ropeik (a sinistra), Fabio Turone (che ha prodotto la sessione), Akin Jimoh, e Wilson Da Silva nel ruolo di moderatore

Investigative science journalism, ethics and new technologies in the future of the WFSJ

Investigative science journalism, journalistic ethics, new technologies, linguistic diversity and connections between regions: these are the five points that the newly elected members of the board proposed to put on top of the agenda of the World Federation of Science Journalists.

Michele Catanzaro analyses their practical proposals on the website of the Catalan Association of Science Communicators: What do the WFSJ board new members propose?

È ora completo il board della Federazione Mondiale dei Giornalisti Scientifici

After much suspense and two ties, the WFSJ has a new board. The board, which will be ratified at the World Conference of Science Journalists 2011 in Doha this coming June, will be formed of new incoming board members Kathryn O’Hara (Canada), Lucy Calderon (Guatemala), Pallava Bagla (India), and continuing board members Christophe Mvondo (Cameroon), Nadia El-Awady (Egypt), and Natasha Mitchell (Australia). The WFSJ president will be elected once bidding for the World Conference of Science Journalists 2013 is done.

Con la scelta del candidato indiano Pallava Bagla a discapito del nostro amico ungherese Istvan Palugyai da parte del board (che in un voto segreto ha dato la preferenza al primo con uno scarto minimo), la Federazione mondiale dei giornalisti scientifici è ora curiosamente guidata da un comitato direttivo di sei membri in cui non sono rappresentati né gli Stati Uniti né l’Europa.

L’eventuale assegnazione del prossimo congresso alla Finlandia, che ha già concorso nel 2009 a Londra e si candiderà nuovamente a Doha, potrebbe far sì che l’Europa sia rappresentata dal Presidente.

Una ragione di più per esprimere il nostro in bocca al lupo al presidente della associazione finlandese Suomen tiedetoimittajain liitto ry,Vesa Niinikangas.

A Doha, con le borse dell’Ordine della Lombardia

Cinque borse di studio da 800 euro ciascuna: ecco come l’Ordine dei Giornalisti della Lombardia ha accolto la richiesta della nostra associazione di favorire la partecipazione italiana al Congresso Mondiale dei giornalisti scientifici di Doha, in Qatar (27-30 giugno 2011).

SWIM is featured on the website of the WFSJ

We are featured on the website of the World Federation of Science Journalists (thanks, folks!).