The Science Journalism Forum will bring journalists and editors together online from 30 August to 2 September to present and discuss science reporting in five languages. The organisers made the conference fully virtual and say it will strengthen connections and skills, with a focus on developing nations.
Deborah Blum, director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, will give a keynote titled "12 Lessons for Science Journalists from the Pandemic." She explains that the pandemic produced special challenges because knowledge changed in real time and some people used that change against journalists. Reporters worked hard to get reliable information to the public.
Blum highlights lessons on navigating uncertainty and careful fact-checking. She also points to cross-border projects such as Historias sin Fronteras, which brought reporters from different Latin American countries together to cover COVID, transgender medicine and the destruction of the Amazon. One investigation about an Amazonian highway, written in Spanish or Portuguese, was later picked up by National Geographic.
The KSJ Program supports international journalists through a global fellowship and free virtual workshops. A June fact-checking workshop had 400 applicants and accepted 200 participants from over 40 countries, with many attendees from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Difficult words
- journalism — Work of reporting and writing news for public.
- virtual — Happening or done online, not in person.
- keynote — Main speech at a conference or event.
- pandemic — A disease that spreads over many countries.
- uncertainty — Situation where information is not clear or certain.
- fact-checking — Checking information to see if it is true.
- fellowship — A position or grant to support professional learning.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of online conferences like this forum?
- How can fact-checking workshops help journalists, especially those from developing nations?
- How do cross-border projects such as Historias sin Fronteras improve reporting on regional issues?
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