Science Journalism :: Future Directions in Science Journalism Conference

November 6, 2009
Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies
University of British Columbia
8:30 am - 5:00 pm, plus a dinner reception to follow

TO AVOID LOSING YOUR SPOT AT THE CONFERENCE, PLEASE SUBMIT FEES BY OCTOBER 23, 2009

SORRY, REGISTRATION CLOSED
(Dinner spaces still available: contact info@sciencejournalim.net for queries)

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

8:30 Guests arrive, breakfast

9:15 Opening remarks

9:30 New media and public responses to disease and pandemics
This session will examine how the fact-paced, interactive world of “new media,” from bloggers to tweeters to social media sites, has influenced the public communication of, and public response to, health issues such as pandemics and disease.
The new forms of communication provide the public with more information resources literally at their fingertips, but do they also speed up reporting and spread rumors? How can new media be used constructively and responsibly by journalists, newsrooms, and health institutions? A panel of experts from journalism, online media and health agencies will discuss the main issues in this controversial but important area of health journalism and communication.
Moderator:
  Sid Katz, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of   Pharmaceutical Sciences; Executive Director, UBC Community Affairs
Panellists:
  Ira Basen, Documentary Producer, CBC Radio; Freelance Journalist
  Alan Cassels, Drug Policy Researcher, University of Victoria
  Patricia Daly, Vice President, Public Health and Chief Medical Health Officer   Vancouver Coastal Health
  Roy Wadia, Director of Communications, British Columbia Centre for   Disease Control

11:00 Accuracy and genomics research
This session will discuss the issue of accuracy in health reporting. In particular, it will focus on news reports about a major area of health science -- genomic research. Scientists will present their study of the accuracy of newspaper reports on genetic research over two years in The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star and The National Post. After presenting the study, leading journalists will be asked to respond, and to discuss the issue of accuracy.
Moderator:
  Francois Heinderyckx, Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Panellists:
  Eric Jandciu, Research Coordinator, UBC School of Journalism
  Nicola Jones, Science Journalist in Residence, UBC School of Journalism;   Commissioning Editor, Nature
  Margaret Munro, Science Reporter, CanWest News Service
  Elodie Portales-Casamar, Research Associate, Centre for Molecular   Medicine and Therapeutics

12:15 Lunch

1:15 A conversation with Nora Young, host of CBC’s Spark
Nora Young pursues her fascination with technology, culture, and armchair sociology, in radio, in print, on television, and online. She is the host and the creator of Spark, a technology show that airs nationally on CBC Radio, and lives online at cbc.ca/spark. She is also a technology columnist with CBC Radio.
As a journalist and speaker, Nora is interested in how new technology shapes the way we relate to each other, and to the world around us. In addition to her professional work, she’s an avid hobby podcaster (thesniffer.net) and a lazy blogger (norayoung.ca) on issues about technology. When away from the computer, Nora loves teaching yoga, cycling and being in nature. She lives in Toronto.
In this session Nora will discuss the implications of social media and new media for science journalism. She will examine how journalists tell stories and how science could be communicated using the new media.
Moderator:
Mary Lynn Young, Director, UBC School of Journalism
Speaker:
Nora Young, Host and Creator of Spark on CBC Radio and cbc.ca/spark

2:15 Is "sustainability" sustainable? Use and abuse of an idea
What does sustainability actually mean? Does it mean anything? Through widespread use of the term in the media and elsewhere we will explore whether the meaning of sustainability has changed over time. This session will also cover the role the news media plays (or should play) in covering sustainability issues and discuss whether the media are turning enough of a critical eye. If not, what are the consequences of this lack of critical analysis?
Moderator:
  Kathryn Gretsinger, Adjunct Professor, UBC School of Journalism; Reporter,   CBC Radio
Panellists:
  Trevor Bowden, Co-founder, Big Room Inc.
  Kurt Grimm, Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences,   UBC
  Lisa Johnson, Environment Reporter, CBC News Vancouver

3:45 Where do we go from here? The future of science journalism
The changing media landscape and the need for better public engagement with science raises questions about the future of science journalism, including science journalism education and research. Does science journalism have a future in tomorrow's newsrooms? What are the crucial issues that need research? How should science journalists, and journalists who will cover science, be educated? A roundtable will debate these issues from the perspectives of the newsroom editor, the science journalist, the educator, and the researcher.
Moderator:
  Stephen Ward, James E. Burgess Professor of Journalism Ethics, University   of Wisconsin-Madison
Panellists:
  Judy Illes, Professor of Neurology and Canada Research Chair in   Neuroethics, UBC
  Kirk Lapointe, Managing Editor, Vancouver Sun
  David Secko, Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism, Concordia   University
  Iain Taylor, Professor Emeritus, Department of Botany, UBC

4:45 Closing remarks

5:45 Dinner reception with keynote speaker
Erika Check Hayden, Senior Reporter, Nature