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So you want to be a science writer?This is the text of an earlier edition of a booklet prepared by the Association of British Science Writers and edited by Richard Stevenson (editor, Chemistry in Britain). Particular thanks are due to Fabian Acker (freelance and NCTJ tutor), Wendy Barnaby (freelance), Ted Poulter (Edward Poulter Associates), Martin Redfern (BBC World Service), Peter Beer (freelance) and, not least, the late Anthony Tucker (formerly science editor, The Guardian). While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the ABSW cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Details of how to obtain a more recent version of this document appear here. Throughout this booklet, the words 'writer' or 'journalist' are assumed to include broadcasters unless otherwise specified, and 'science' is taken to encompass technology, medicine and the environment. On being a science writerby Anthony Tucker In an increasingly technological world, democracy demands that the voters have an awareness of scientific issues and options, and of their limitations and consequences. William Waldegrave's 1993 White Paper on science, together with activities by bodies like the Royal Society and the British Association going back over several years have stressed this need for public awareness. It is no longer adequate to think that some understanding of the laws of thermodynamics demonstrates scientific literacy, of the kind needed to bridge C. P. Snow's 'two cultures'. Science writers of many types have a role to play in acting as brokers between science and the public. They have as crucial a role in revealing social options as they have in explaining the technicalities of the latest pure science or high technology hardware. Science writing involves participation in science and technology as a sharp observer, one whose mind is always ready to acquire new information and a better understanding of complex problems. In the general media of newspapers, TV and radio, this can sometimes be done as well by non-scientists as by scientists. In the narrower context of scientific and technical journals then formal scientific training becomes more necessary. But by definition a journalist covering new fields will have no detailed knowledge of the subject, so the advantage of a scientific training may only be to provide a background of generalised knowledge and an understanding of the scientific process. The science specialist in the media deals with the world's problems at all levels and on all scales. And if the audience is to be carried and held it must be offered the lighter side to render difficult material digestible. These techniques can be learned and nowadays are taught in formal courses. The range that even a specialist has to cover is enormous, reaching far beyond the accurate reporting of new research findings. For a science writer in broadcasting or a national newspaper, for example, the range in a single week could stretch from the rapid assessment of a serious but local pollution incident to grasping and describing new scientific understanding of the way human activities are disturbing global systems; from research findings about fundamental matter at the latest particle accelerator to the smart gadgetry of urban life; from the best technical routes for developing nations to the survival of endangered species or enforcement of new international nuclear agreements. With experience, this collected and integrated understanding of science, technology, politics and society means that the science writer may be better placed than any other to read the future in the events of the day. Science writers, like all other journalists, must have an insatiable appetite for reading, and the best are endowed with a memory like a filing cabinet. Some of the specialist literature has to be approached with the help of scientific contacts built up on a basis of personal trust over many years. Such personal contacts, which at the highest level are international and often involve lifelong friendships, are one of the enabling structures of journalism. The first thing to do when entering the field is to make some friends! The late Anthony Tucker was a former science editor of The Guardian Getting in ...There is no formal or recognised career structure in journalism, so your career is largely what you make of it. But there are certain ways into the field. Newspapers The traditional route to national newspapers has been to start as a junior on a local newspaper, taking National Council for Training of Journalists (NCTJ) tests along the way – much like an apprenticeship. However, specialist writers on newspapers are normally recruited from specialist periodicals, and this applies to virtually all science, technology and environment specialists currently working on national newspapers. Specialist periodicals What used to be called the 'trade and technical' publishing sector, now referred to as 'business to business' publishing, together with professional publications, represents the largest single sector of the UK publishing industry. Every sub-discipline in engineering, electronics, computing, healthcare, laboratory science etc has its own commercial publication - sometimes several competing ones. In addition, many of the professional and learned societies publish magazines for their members or for general sale. There is a hierarchy amongst these publications ranging from those that will take on and train graduates in their own specialisation with no little or no journalistic or editorial experience, to those (for instance New Scientist and Focus) that cross over into the consumer publishing field and only recruit highly experienced staff. New entrants to business and professional publications are usually taken on as subeditors and/or junior reporters rather than feature writers and columnists. Many come from academic publishers where as new graduates they have been taught scientific subediting on learned journals and books. Broadcasting In this country opportunities in broadcast science journalism have been rather limited. There are some possibilities for freelance work but the only full-time posts were in BBC domestic and World Service radio and television, and the numbers were quite small. However, the growth in terrestrial, satellite and cable TV has led to the formation of a number of independent TV production companies, some of which are dedicated to science programming, while others make occasional programmes in this field. These companies generally employ researchers and programme makers rather than journalists as such. The most usual way into broadcasting is by moving across from other areas of the media, or by a short attachment such as a media fellowship. The training tends to be on the job, with occasional short courses in the more specialised production skills. However, radio journalism is now a recognised skill taught at some of the colleges while local BBC radio stations still offer training positions for people in their early 20s. These will offer bi-media experience, because the trend is towards skills in both radio and television. Radio requires the usual nose for a good story, and the ability to explain it clearly and simply, as well as the basic techniques of radio – recording and editing – and a feeling for how to build up a well-balanced programme. The technical requirements of television are far more exacting. Documentary location shooting usually involves a camera team of at least three or four and a production team of another two or three. Directing a camera crew so that the story can be edited together back in the cutting room requires a high degree of specific training. Formal training...Today's trend is towards formal vocational training, and the media are no exception. A system of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) has been set up in periodical journalism (by the Periodical Publishers Association, PPA), in newspaper journalism (by the Newspaper Society) and even in book publishing. Training is carried out on the job and assessment is carried out in-house (in the larger publishers) or through the sponsoring bodies. Several large periodical publishers had graduate entry schemes, but these were generally phased out in the last recession. Recruitment by direct entry to a particular publication is now the norm, either with a postgraduate diploma or with on-the-job training. A number of universities and colleges now offer media or journalism courses for graduates with, say, a science degree who can obtain funding. A number of training organisations provide short courses on particular aspects of journalism, which will be taken into account in NVQ assessment, but may also be attended by senior journalists who want to brush up their skills. Examples are the NCTJ, the Periodicals Training Council (the training arm of the PPA) and City University's Professional Development Courses. Several other organisations arrange in-house training courses for corporate clients. Freelance...Most journalists do some freelance work outside their salaried jobs, either commissioned by another publication or outlet because of their expertise, or when they sell an item that falls outside their normal work. A large number of science writers are self-employed and make their living through this kind of work, often after several years gaining experience and building up a reputation in a salaried job. Quite a few well-known writers and broadcasters actually got their first step on the ladder by this means, though it is the most precarious and unpredictable way in. In all cases the key is to know your market. Most technical publications and the science sections of some national newspapers take a certain amount of freelance material, either sent 'on spec', or commissioned after a suggestion from a writer. Working scientists often have access to newly published work or sources of stories and can build up a body of experience by offering these to commissioning editors. However, there is no point wasting your time on dull stories offered to the wrong publication. After a bit of practice you will find out what sells and what doesn't. Editors like to have a lot of contacts with specialist knowledge, so if you make a success of a piece they might approach you next time. The recent shift to ever more freelance employment in the broadcasting industry has changed the pattern of training and recruitment. If you want to get into freelance radio broadcasting your best bet may be to study programmes to which you feel you could contribute, work up some suggestions, and contact the producers directly (their names are published in listings such as the Radio Times). The main outputs of television science open to the independent sector are Horizon on BBC2, QED on BBC1 and Equinox on Channel 4. About four programmes a year of the BBC series and all 10-12 a year on Equinox are produced by the independent sector. The competition is formidable – Equinox receives 5-600 proposals a year – but it is the quality of the idea, not your technical experience, that counts. If a commissioning editor or executive editor likes your idea, and you have no production experience, you will be introduced to a suitable production company. It will then be up to you to negotiate your deal. Some programmes have specific submission schedules, eg Equinox will only consider proposals between July and October, and it is worth contacting the channel concerned and asking. Again, many commissioning editors complain bitterly of receiving proposals that are quite unsuitable for their programmes. A proposal should be about three A4 pages long and contain enough information to show how the argument of a programme will develop. With all freelance ideas it is worth thinking laterally: consumer magazines use a lot of health and nutrition features, while ideas with a current affairs bias might be interesting to programmes such as Panorama or Despatches. Getting some experience ...Some scientists are lucky enough to get a taste of the media world without committing themselves irrevocably. The best-known opportunity is the annual media fellowships run by the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Under this scheme a number of working scientists are found placements with national newspapers, magazines or science broadcasting units. Some individual publications also run similar schemes, ranging from Nature, which takes on research scientists as interns to help the scientific editors, The Economist (the Richard Casement fellowship for students) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (the Marriott fellowship enabling a student member to work on Chemistry in Britain and Education in Chemistry). See back cover for details. There are also a number of essay competitions aimed at science students or young researchers, usually run in conjunction with a publication. Examples include Daily Telegraph/Nirex, Wellcome Centre for Medical Science/New Scientist, National Physical Laboratory/Institute of Physics and Chemistry and Industry. Success in one of these competitions can be a guide to whether a scientist has the makings of a science writer. See back cover for details. ABSWThe Association of British Science Writers exists to help those who write about science and technology, and membership can be extremely useful to freelancers and new entrants because of the contacts they can make. Student membership is now available to those on a recognised science journalism course. See inside front cover for details. The ABSW also administers a bursary scheme for science graduates on recognised journalism training courses. These are currently worth £4400 and are awarded on the basis of a writing test. Nominations to the competition are by course directors. The ABSW can supply a list of those colleges currently participating in the scheme. Throughout this booklet, the terms 'writer' or 'journalist' are assumed to include broadcasters unless otherwise specified, and 'science' is taken to encompass technology, medicine and the environment. Useful addresses ...Details of NCTJ accredited colleges and universities and the courses they offer are available from NCTJ Training Ltd, Latton Bush Centre, Southern Way, Harlow, Essex CM18 7BL; tel: 01279-430009. A Directory of United Kingdom Science Communication
courses is available from the Communication and Education
Department, Wellcome Centre for Medical Science, 210
Euston Road, London NW1 2BE; tel: 0171-611 8625; fax:
0171-611 8269. This is also available on line at: Head of Training, Newspaper Society, Bloomsbury House, 74-77 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DA; tel: 0171-636 7014. Periodicals Training Council, Queen's House, 55/56
Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2B 6LJ; tel: 0171-404
4168; fax: 0171-404 4167 Broadcast Journalism Training Council, 39 Westbourne
Gardens, London W2 5NR; tel: 0171-727 9522 Fellowships etc BA Media Fellowships: Jane Mole, British Association for the Advancement of Science, 23 Savile Row, London W1X 2NB; tel: 0171-973 3069. (Application deadline is usually in March) Richard Casement Internship: Business Affairs Editor, The Economist, 25 St James's Street, London SW1A 1HG; tel: 0171-830 7000. (Age limit: under 24; application deadline is usually in March) Nature internships: Nature, Porters South, 4 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW; tel: 0171-833 4000. (Occasional opportunities for scientists to work as desk editors during the summer; advertised in Nature as and when available) Marriott Studentship: Chemistry in Britain, Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 0BN; tel: 0171-440 3360. (Restricted to RSC student members; application deadline is usually in March) Writing competitions Chemistry & Industry Essay Competition, Society of Chemical Industry, 14-15 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PS; tel: 0171-235 3681. (Restricted to full-time students; application deadline is usually in April) Daily Telegraph Young Science Writers' Competition (sponsored by the British Association): Electric Echo, 334A Goswell Road, London EC1V 7LQ; tel: 0171-713 5525 (Age limits: 16-19 and 20-28; application deadline is usually March) Glaxo Wellcome/ABSW Science Writers' Awards: ABSW, c/o British Association, 23 Savile Row, London W1X 2NB; tel: 0171-439 1205. (Restricted to work that has been published or broadcast; application deadline is usually in January) Wellcome Centre for Medical Science/New Scientist Millennial Science Essay Competition: Lauretta Patterson, The Wellcome Centre for Medical Science, 210 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE; fax: 0171-611 8269; e-mail: l.patterson@ Wellcome.ac.uk (Postgraduate students in science, engineering or technology; application deadline is usually in June)
Publications Directory of Independent TV Production Companies, available from The Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), Gordon House, 10 Greencoat Place, London SW1P 1PH. The Blue Book of British Broadcasting, available from Tellex Monitors, 47 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8PR. The Guardian Media Guide, published by Fourth Estate. Linda Gage, Guide to Independent Radio Journalism, published by Duckworth. Elwyn Evans, Radio – A Guide to Broadcasting Techniques, published by Barrie & Jenkins (out of print but worth looking for in a library). Job advertisements The following periodicals carry relevant advertisements:
This is an electronic version of the second edition, published in 1997 © Association of British Science Writers, 1994, 1997. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photographic, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. Published by the Association of British Science Writers. Publication of this booklet has been supported by a generous donation from Biocompatibles International plc. Biocompatibles is an international healthcare group active in research, development and commercialisation of materials which provide biocompatibility to medical and other products. |
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Copyright ABSW © 2008 Last update 30 May 2008 |
