Thread by @SciCommDaniel

It's conference day! I'm so excited to be attending this grassroots, student-run conference on scientific journalism. I'll be live-tweeting the keynotes & panels during today's conference. You can follow along at #NUCSJ2020! 😊

FIRST UP: A keynote address from @Columbia_CUSJ President & Chief Editorial Officer @AryaRao_! #NUCSJ2020

@AryaRao_ is getting the conference started with some thoughts on mistrust of science during the COVID-19 pandemic. #NUCSJ2020

"We cannot ask the public to believe in science when scientists do not *believe* in science. Belief is not the right word," says @AryaRao_, adding that "science will hype itself up" when we making scientific information accessible to the general public and when we communicate.

This map shows where today's conference attendees are tuning in from! Wow! #NUCSJ2020

FIRST PANEL of the day, starting now: Effective Consumption of Research

Panelists: Deborah Blum (@deborahblum), Christina Monnen (an associate researcher at @novapbs), and John Willinsky (@JohnWillinsky). #NUCSJ2020

.@deborahblum starts the panel with some insight on consuming research as a science journalist. She recommends reaching the abstract, intro, and conclusion of a research paper first to get an idea of how to cover it.

Christina adds: look at the paper's funding sources.

.@JohnWillinsky: How do I make sense of difficult aspects of the paper? How do I support my understanding?

John describes the different contexts of finding and reading a paper. #NUCSJ2020

Q: How to break down info and make it understandable?

A: As a science writer, if you actually care about getting it right, scientists are very willing to take the time to explain their research. (@deborahblum) #NUCSJ2020

.@deborahblum: ask clarifying questions of researchers, ask them to explain the work as if they were speaking to their mother.

Use the "echo question" technique: e.g. if the researcher talks about H20, ask a question like "so you were just talking about water, right?" #NUCSJ2020

.@deborahblum: One of the last Q's to ask of a scientist is "what did I screw up?" This gives the researcher you're interviewing an opportunity to correct misunderstandings.

Christina: Another question to ask... "What's an analogy that can be used to understand this?" #NUCSJ2020

.@JohnWillinsky recommends connecting with colleagues in journalism & news media to build context about a research concept or topic. You're trying to build a conceptual map of relationships between ideas, so don't be afraid to use Wikipedia to build this knowledge. #NUCSJ2020

.@JohnWillinsky: Don't cite Wikipedia, but you can cite papers that are cited on Wikipedia! It's a way to build your knowledge about a research field. #NUCSJ2020

Q regarding pre-prints during the #COVID19 pandemic:

.@deborahblum: News media is event-driven, so it's hard for journalists to talk about science as a process (with data points & studies that build upon one another). I'm not sure we'll ever overcome the conflict. #NUCSJ2020

Deborah adds that journalists have some pressure to work on making science less event-driven & better portrayed as an ongoing process. #NUCSJ2020

Christina Monnen on fact-checking science: The value that older papers have is that they give you context for where the field is today.

.@JohnWillinsky: take pride in understanding historical context and yesteryear's research. Let's have a shoutout for older papers! #NUCSJ2020

.@JohnWillinsky: Ideas come from other ideas. Not saying that there isn't anything new but older papers really give you that context. #NUCSJ2020

Question re: processes to evaluate research submissions to an undergrad journal?

.@JohnWillinsky: Standard is peer review. The peer reviewer of an undergrad paper is other undergrads. Honor author who has taken the time to contribute their work, and help them improve. #NUCSJ2020

.@deborahblum adds insight on transparency: having scientific journals talk about their processes to journalists helps build trust in the scientific enterprise. There was lots of cultural pressure, for example, on journals to include funding sources in research papers. #NUCSJ2020

.@deborahblum: People who edit journals are important gatekeepers of science. One example is the paper recently published in Nature suggesting that women are not as effective mentors as men. #NUCSJ2020

Q on reducing personal biases when reading & consuming research:

.@deborahblum: I look for consensus & weight of evidence and then report from that position. The "two sides of every story" model in journalism doesn't always work. #NUCSJ2020

.@deborahblum: Major example of how the "two sides" model breaks down was coverage and framing of climate change as a political debate between Democrats and Republicans. #NUCSJ2020

On getting involved as an undergrad, Christina says that networking is super important in this field (science communication) because it's a relatively small group. #NUCSJ2020

NEXT UP: second panel on COVID-19 and the spread of scientific information.

Panelists: Carl Zimmer (@carlzimmer), Betsy Ladyzhets @betsyladyzhets), Szabolcs Marka from @Columbia, Yolanda Botti-Lodovico, Christian Schindler

Panelist bios: fb.me/e/3QZqozWac

#NUCSJ2020

Q: What are some hurdles that will impede #COVID19 vaccine distribution, esp. given anti-vaxx movement & disinfo campaigns?

A: We'll have to wait & see. Vaccination rates still up in US, but how is it going to be distributed given poor infrastructure? - @carlzimmer.

#NUCSJ2020

.@betsyladyzhets: As a data journalist, I'm concerned about data infrastructure. Just over half of the states have immunization registries that are ready for #COVID19 distribution. Given the lack of a federal response, this is a concern on many levels. #NUCSJ2020

Lack of coordinated responses leads to mistrust of the vaccine & scientific institutions.

.@carlzimmer: First 2 vaccines are important. We need good data. If we don't have this data, we might miss some important side effects or other findings re: the vaccine. #NUCSJ2020

Szabolcs Marca expresses concerns about integrity of vaccine supply chain & issues with getting vaccine to underserved areas of the world, to refugees, etc.

Yolanda Botti-Lodovico adds that there are issues with equity of vaccine distribution. #NUCSJ2020

Q: How can we best disseminate info re: vaccines in a culturally relevant way?

A: There should be plans to communicate how these vaccines work, targeted to Native American communities, African American communities, etc. - @carlzimmer

.@carlzimmer: It will be harder than it used to be to disseminate info b/c there are less local papers around to communicate to their audiences. Also, there are threats of disinfo that can be amplified by social media. Already examples of Russian misinfo that seek to sow discord.

.@betsyladyzhets: It's harder to get data on how this pandemic is disproportionately impacting certain populations. She hopes that this can be turned around when the vaccine is distributed.

Yolanda Botti-Lodovico: Systemic changes needed from the top to rebuild trust in science.

Szabolcs Marka: The foundation of getting people to buy into science & a vaccine is trust.

Q regarding individual liberties vs. mask-wearing?

Christian Schindler: We tend to romanticize individual liberties in this country whereas other countries look to history. #NUCSJ2020

.@betsyladyzhets says many people here in U.S. have an individualistic perspective. People don't think they need to wear a mask bc they're taking care of themselves.

Yolanda Botti-Lodovico: Masks have been politicized. Outbreaks often strengthen existing divides in society.

Christian Schindler: If the public knew more about how this pandemic is impacting health care workers, hospitals, etc., perhaps they would care more about mask-wearing & other public health guidelines. #NUCSJ2020

Q regarding how to read scientific papers on #COVID19?

.@carlzimmer recommends a column that he wrote for @nytimes in June: "How You Should Read Coronavirus Studies, or Any Science Paper" 👇 #NUCSJ2020

nytimes.com/article/how-to…

.@carlzimmer: Example of the damage that coordinated disinformation can have is Steve Bannon pushing fake news that the coronavirus was created in a lab in China.

Szabolcs Marka: As a scientist, it's easy to communicate to 10 of your friends who work in the same field, but...

...scientists need to get better at communicating to the public.

.@carlzimmer: Sometimes the scientific community needs to do a better job with communication. Some scientists say "here's my data" and they just put it out into the world (Carl's perspective as a journalist).

These panels are moving quickly! I'm missing quite a few points, but I'll fill in the gaps later. There will be recordings, too! :)

@betsyladyzhets recommends this resource from The Open Notebook (@Open_Notebook) to science writers. #NUCSJ2020
theopennotebook.com/2018/11/06/how…

More links, stories, and resources from the panel Zoom chat:

A Lack of Transparency Is Undermining Pandemic Policy via @WIREDScience

wired.com/story/a-lack-o… #NUCSJ2020

The Enraging Deja Vu of a Third Coronavirus Wave via @propublica

propublica.org/article/the-en… #NUCSJ2020

.@betsyladyzhets' newsletter on COVID-19 data:
coviddatadispatch.substack.com #NUCSJ2020

The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) at @TheAtlantic

covidtracking.com #NUCSJ2020

It's time for the conference keynote: Dr. Martin Chalfie, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering and developing GFP, the protein that makes E. coli glow green in our high school and college biology labs! #NUCSJ2020

Great advice from Dr. Chalfie's presentation on why writing is an essential part of scientific research! #NUCSJ2020

Funny story from Dr. Chalfie's keynote, describing how this paper on GFP was rejected at first because of the word "new" in the title. The paper was resubmitted with a new title, accepted, and then the final title ended up being almost the same as the first iteration. #NUCSJ2020

Dr. Martin Chalfie makes a pitch for preprint journal clubs. I will repost all of these photos later with alt text!

Dr. Chalfie's keynote was fantastic! Hopefully, I can share the recording with you all because my live tweets couldn't cover everything that he talked about. :) #NUCSJ2020

Fresh off the conference's journal fair...

STARTING SOON: the third panel on Careers in Scientific Journalism and Communication (my favorite topic!)

Panelists: @amyellisnutt, @apoorva_nyc, @tpn1818 & @ScottESolomon.

Panelist bios: fb.me/e/4DtY4U6Qz #NUCSJ2020

Q: What lead you to a career in #ScienceJournalism or #SciComm?

A: @apoorva_nyc started out as a science geek & wanted to be a researcher before finding science journalism, which she's done for 20 years now!

#NUCSJ2020

.@amyellisnutt is a self-described "interloper" and says she took a "circuitous route" to science journalism. Interested in philosophy & neuroscience.

.@ScottESolomon learned about #SciComm in graduate school and started writing about science for The Daily Texan.

#NUCSJ2020

.@ScottESolomon: sharing science in the classroom is about taking information, sharing knowledge and passion, which is very similar to other forms of #SciComm.

#NUCSJ2020

Q: How has or how will #SciComm and/or #ScienceJournalism change during/after the pandemic?

A: @apoorva_nyc says that it's been super busy. Every day is packed with new developments, and the task-switching is definitely more intense than it's ever been! #NUCSJ2020

A: @ScottESolomon tries to take on new projects that he has time to accomplish (and can finish during a relatively finite period = summer), whether it's writing a book or developing a course. Dr. Solomon teaches during the academic year. #NUCSJ2020

A: @tpn1818 says that one of the great things about being in academia is incorporating collaborative projects with undergrads, grad students, etc. that explore #SciComm research. #NUCSJ2020

.@amyellisnutt is currently working full-time on a new book: American Madness, a narrative history of mental health treatment in America. Amy previously wrote on science & health news for the @washingtonpost. #NUCSJ2020

One of @amyellisnutt's favorite science journalism stories was reporting on a patient with amnesia. I'll refer everyone to the recording when it's posted because...wow, what a great, profound story!

.@amyellisnutt adds that one of the best parts of journalism is these moments.

Favorite story (@apoorva_nyc): reporting on aftermath of a gas leak in India. The factory was abandoned and chemicals were leeching into the groundwater. Neighboring communities were being impacted by this pollution. Apoorva travelled to India to report on this story. #NUCSJ2020

Here's the story by @apoorva_nyc mentioned in my previous tweet. #NUCSJ2020 pulitzercenter.org/projects/lasti…

.@tpn1818 worked with Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science (@AldaCenter) to understand how scientists respond to engagement opportunities. He says there's a growing and increasingly well-funded need for science communication. #SciComm #NUCSJ2020 aldacenter.org

Q: What is the role of science journalism? Different than its current role?

A: What it's always been. To communicate info but to also take a critical eye, looking at sample sizes in research, etc. - @amyellisnutt #NUCSJ2020

.@apoorva_nyc: Scientists are often under the impression that science journalists are partners w/ scientists in communicating their work. That's not the case. Science journalists hold scientists and the field of science accountable when it needs to be held accountable. #NUCSJ2020

.@apoorva_nyc says it's our job to ask tough questions, shed light on things that are poorly or maliciously done, and make sure the truth gets out there. #journalism #ScienceWriting #NUCSJ2020

.@ScottESolomon just touched on some aspects of science communication that make it particularly important these days.

Important clarification from @apoorva_nyc: #SciComm and science journalism are separate fields that are often grouped under one umbrella. #NUCSJ2020

My thoughts: Both #SciComm and science journalism are important! But they do approach science writing from different angles. #NUCSJ2020

.@tpn1818 says that public engagement with science as a field has a lot of career opportunities & is very important! #NUCSJ2020

Shifting gears to another question on covering science...

.@apoorva_nyc says that science is an incremental process. It's very important for journalists to pay attention and be careful with the nuance of findings (example: masks) to avoid giving readers whiplash. #NUCSJ2020

To elaborate on masks example: messaging & research has progressed since the pandemic started. It's important to effectively communicate nuance to readers so they don't get pulled back and forth between conflicting news (when really it's just the scientific process). #NUCSJ2020

Conversation shifting now to sensationalism and pseudoscience...

.@ScottESolomon, thinking about sensational science headlines as seen on TV, worries about when people's curiosity leads them to take pseudoscience and false information at face value. #NUCSJ2020

.@apoorva_nyc recommends this resource from her colleague @carlzimmer (an earliest panelist!) for getting started as a writer. #NUCSJ2020
carlzimmer.com/to-beginning-w…

A great addition to the thread from @emmaryang0907, re: the third panel on science communication & journalism careers! 👇

https://twitter.com/emmaryang0907/status/1330256733223198721

I missed Dr. Marka's handle (@SzabiMarka) in my live tweets for panel #2 (COVID-19 and the Spread of Scientific Information)...my bad! Thanks to @izzy_leite for letting me know.

Here's a bookmark to panel 2 👇

https://twitter.com/scicommdaniel/status/1330200715617308678

I highly recommend this newsletter that was shared during panel 2! 👇

https://twitter.com/scicommdaniel/status/1330236601146994688

@threadreaderapp Please unroll! :)