Urban Unrest

14 October 2007 | Opportunities, Science | Ernesto Aguilar

The Science Literacy Project is seeking new slate of science reporters

SoundVision Productions Executive Producer Bari Scott today opened the doors today to public radio producers and reporters interested in enhancing their science-reporting skills, offering a one-week Science Literacy Project seminar in Austin, Texas April 6-12, 2008.

SoundVision’s past intensives in Boston (2005) and San Francisco (2006) graduated producers, news directors and editors from more than a dozen stations, regional networks, and radio production houses including The World, WBEZ, WBUR, KUOW, WPR, WBHM, Michigan Public Radio, Living on Earth, MPR, OPB, KQED, and Latino USA, KERA. Alumni include independent or organization-based reporters including Daniel Grossman, Allan Coukell, Lonny Shavelson, Rebecca Roberts, Amy Standen, Orlando de Guzman, Eileen Bolinsky, and Sherri Quinn.

The Science Literacy Project has, over the past eight years, provided radio producers and reporters information and innovation techniques to tackle complex science stories in a perceptive, clear, balanced and imaginative way. The ultimate aim, says Scott, is “to bring more and better understanding of critical science to the average citizen.”

Scott went on to describe the *unique challenge of science reporting. “Before a reporter can tell a science story, he or she needs to first understand the science behind it,” she said. “Public radio journalists face a tremendous challenge as they try to present complicated information, and that challenge begins right with them. The aim of our week-long intensives is to help reports close their knowledge deficits, instill confidence and curiosity that will ultimately translate into their work.”

APPLICATION DEADLINE: DECEMBER 14, 2007

ELIGIBILITY: SoundVision’s training team is looking for news and public affairs journalists who report on science, health, environment or technology issues, as well as editors, news directors and general assignment reporters who seek concentrated training in science journalism and creative use of the radio medium. Applicants must be frequent contributors to national, regional or local news or public affairs programs for public or community radio stations.The project will recruit and select twelve participants for each intensive, weeklong workshop through a competitive process designed to maximize ethnic, racial and gender diversity and to include those from rural and minority-controlled stations and networks.

INFORMATION AT http://www.scienceliteracyproject.org/applicants

SoundVision is an independent media production program founded in 1998 and a champion of science journalism. This November, SoundVision releases it*s third season of, The DNA Files, a five part special series from NPR hosted by John Hockenberry. The programs will air on more than 230 public radio stations and networks in the U.S. and overseas. For its previous series of The DNA Files, SoundVision producers and editors were recognized with numerous honors, including a George Foster Peabody and an Alfred I. DuPont award — journalism’s highest honors. Funding for the Science Literacy Project comes from the U.S. Department of Energy.

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