ABSW Science Writers' Awards for 2003

Read the report of the judges here.

And follow this link for details of previous winners.

The ABSW Science Writers’ Awards for 2003 were presented at a ceremony on 1 July at The Royal Society, London, by Pallab Ghosh, Chairman of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW) and Science Correspondent, BBC News, and Dr Alastair Benbow, Vice President  & European Medical Director of GlaxoSmithKline, the major sponsor of the Awards.

The ABSW Science Writers’ Awards seek to set standards of excellence in science journalism. They are presented across seven categories to the writers and broadcasters who, in the opinion of an independent panel of judges, have produced the highest quality science journalism each year, and highlighted important scientific issues with bravery and flair. The Awards, of £2,000 each, are supported by GlaxoSmithKline, the Medical Research Council, the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust.  

Commenting on the Awards, Pallab Ghosh said, ‘We encouraged entrants to think about the pieces they entered this year, to pick the work that raised itself above the staple diet of processed diary, journal and press release generated material, and we received some really outstanding entries. But we need to go further: as science journalists it is our responsibility to challenge and push the boundaries of science reporting, and we’d like to see even more entries submitted that do this next year."

• The best feature on a science subject in a national or regional newspaper:
  Ben Goldacre for 'Never Mind the Facts' which was published in Guardian Life on 11
  December 2003
• The best feature on a science subject in a specialist periodical:
  Claire Ainsworth for 'The Stranger Within', which was published in New Scientist on 15 November 2003
• The best investigative journalism on a science subject:
  James Randerson for 'Betrayal of Innocence', which was published in New Scientist on 20 September 2003
• The best scripted/edited radio programme on a science subject:
  Andrew Luck-Baker for 'Discovery: Monstrous Science - Giant Squid', which was broadcast on BBC World Service on 10 September 2003
• The best television programme on a science subject:
  Carlo Massarella for 'DNA (Episode 3): The Human Race', a Windfall Films production which was broadcast on Channel 4 on 22 March 2003.
• The best science writing on the World Wide Web:
  No award was made in this category.
• The best communication of science in a non-science context:
  John Byrne and Adam Hart-Davis for 'Taking the Piss Out of London', which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and World Service on 9 July 2003.

The Judging Panel for the 2003 Awards was chaired by Pallab Ghosh and comprised:

Steve Connor - The Independent and Independent on Sunday
Professor Elizabeth Fisher -  The Institute of Neurology, UCL
Dr Susan Jebb - MRC Human Nutrition Research
Nicola Jones - Nature
Dr Toby Murcott -  Ketoe Communications
Dr Jim Thomas - University of Sheffield
Erika Wright - BBC Radio Science Unit