FlashInfoVol.1 No.3 October 6, 2004

WCSJ 2004 Newsletter

François D’Allaire Imagine: You finally get offered a job at a majornational daily but flunk the final stage of theselection process because your DNA indicatesa propensity for burnout and low tolerance forstress. The miracles of genetics are becomingpersonal and professional snares.

Human genome sequencing was done at anextraordinary speed, but only marked thebeginning. A function or role has to beassigned to each of the 30,000 genes. Onepreferred method is undoubtedly the use ofdatabases containing genetic (obtained froma blood sample), morphometric (height,weight, etc.), social and family informationon a large number of individuals. Geneticdatabases can already be used for linkage toidentify the genes responsible for specificfunctions or traits. For example, this is howobesity is studied.

Johane Patenaude helped draft a report onthe issue for the Quebec government’s sci-ence and technology ethics commission. “Thepublic knows too little about the impact ofgenetic databases on our society,” she says,“but then so do governments.” In fact, genetictechnology is advancing so fast the public hasa hard time keeping pace with developments.

The Commission’s report particularly empha-sizes the discrimination this type of researchcould lead to. Employers, insurers, andbankers might be tempted to use geneticinformation to exclude individuals. But social

segregation could also stem from more sen-sitive issues such as mental illness. A regionfound to have a higher rate of depression orschizophrenia could get labelled. Local res-idents might end up ridiculed and industrialdevelopment impaired on the basis of thatinformation.

Western societies are trying to get a handleon the situation, but sometimes their effortsseem futile given that, for example, in Que-bec alone the precise number of geneticdatabases here remains unknown!

In the various countries concerned, one ofthe first rules established was the “free andinformed consent” of individuals contribut-ing to a genetic database. In Quebec thisconsent is given with a signed form author-izing the use of confidential information. Yetan informed decision requires accessibleinformation and the ability to foresee the

The Problems with Genetic Databasesconsequences of one’s actions. It’s hard toget people thinking that way in a worldwhere things happen at supersonic speed.Patenaude adds that current standards failto take social implications into account. Infact, well-informed individuals who want tocontribute to a genetic database implicitlyinvolve everyone with the same genetic her-itage. Personal consent therefore inevitablyimplicates the community.

Are individuals, governments and evenresearchers really aware of the social issuesinvolved in genetic databases? It’s an exam-ple of the void between scientists and thepublic.

Solutions to help journalists give the public a bet-ter understanding of the issues raised by sciencewill be proposed at the plenary session on Soci-ety’s Challenges from Emerging Science todayfrom 8:30 a to 9:45 a.m. in the Ballroom.

Wishing to promote knowledge sharing and the progress of science journalism, L’Oréal is pleased to offer you this newsletter.

www.hair-science.com www.skin-science.com www.invitroskin.com www.forwomeninscience.com

“The public knows too littleabout the impact of genetic

databases on our society,but then so do govern-

ments.” – Johane Patenaude

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October 17 to 20, 2004Congress of the European Union of Sci-ence Journalists’ Associations. Talks andscience tours. ➤ www.esf.org/eusja/index.htm

October 20 to 24, 2004Annual conference of the Society of Envi-ronmental Journalists (SEJ) in Pittsburgh.Workshops, discussions (including Hol-lywood’s impact on the public image ofenvironmental issues), training courses,gala evening, tours. Over 600 journalistsand “green” wildlife representatives.➤ www.sej.org

November 12-13, 2004Online News Association annual con-ference in Hollywood, California. Talks,training workshops, discussion on the

Internet’s role in the presidential elec-tion, annual awards. ➤ www.journalists.org/conference

February 15-16, 2005Annual conference of the AmericanNational Association of Science Writers(NASW) in Washington, DC.➤ www.nasw.org

April 10 to 14, 2005Fourth Science Center World Congressin Rio, Brazil.➤ www.museudavida.fiocruz.br/4scwc/

May 2005Seminar on the acquisition of science indeveloping countries in Beijing, China.Sponsored by the Public Communica-tion of Science and Technology network.

Other Events

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T h e G l o b a l i z a t i o n o f S c i e n c e J o u r n a l i s m

Scientific Information Aiding DevelopmentPascal Lapointe

Can African or Latin American science gaina higher profile? Is it idealistic to think theNorth-South gap can be bridged by betterscientific information?

That’s the challenge underlying the 2001launch of Scidev.net (Science and Develop-ment Network): improve the quantity of reli-able scientific and technological informationcapable of having an impact on developmentin Southern countries.

A huge challenge! “We’re starting to see afew more of our articles in newspapers,” saidChristina Scott of South African television atyesterday’s three-hour workshop devotedentirely to SciDev. But for African news tointerest a European editor-in-chief, it has toinvolve a disaster (famine, war etc.) or berather exotic. “What’s more,” she added, “edi-tors-in-chief are still afraid of science – whichraises the bar for African or Asian scienceeven higher.”

Yet more astonishing is the fact that sciencefrom Africa or Latin America seems just as

hard to sell to national newspapers! This sur-prise is even reflected in the latest editionof the Canadian Science Writers’ Associationnewsletter, Science Link: most of the sci-ence news published in Colombian news-papers comes from Northern countriesbecause the editors-in-chief and journalistsprefer to go with what has already beenpublished elsewhere! And that’s why Colom-bians and Cameroonians are inadequatelyinformed about science that can affect theireveryday lives.

SciDev isn’t the only one in the picture. Forthe past 16 years Syfia, a French-languageagency, has been covering general news inSouthern countries. It has a few mediaamong its clients, albeit very few. A nonprofitnews agency funded by the Agence inter-gouvernementale de la francophonie, it isalso a network of 10 agencies (InfoSud, Jade,Proximités, etc.). UnlikeSciDev, which is based inLondon, or Agence Sci-ence-Presse in Montreal,Syfia has most of itsarticles written by cor-respondents on site inthe 35 countries itcovers.

Swiss-based AgenceInfoSud, like SciDev,focuses on articlesabout North-South re-lations: debt, coopera-tion, tourism, humanrights, women’s rights

etc. As for funding, most comes from grantsand donations: last year 99% of SciDev’s rev-enue came from four sources, including theBritish, Swedish and Canadian (CIDA) inter-national development agencies.

➤ SciDev: www.scidev.net

➤ Syfia: www.syfia.info/fr/index.asp

➤ InfoSud: www.infosud.org

Pascal Lapointe

Journalists are often mediocre at math. Andit’s not Agence Science-Presse pointing thefinger. Many journalists over the years havegroaned at the howlers committed by theircolleagues the instant a number raises itsnasty little head – to the extent that there arenow numerous courses and tests online ifonly to teach you that, well, 60% and 1/60are not exactly the same thing!

Resources include:

➤ www.people.vcu.edu/~jcsouth/mathquiz.html

➤ www.ire.org/education/math_test.html

➤ www.robertniles.com/stats/

➤ www.newslab.org/resources/math.htm

➤ www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reporting/numbers/print.asp

➤ http://members.cox.net/mathmistakes/

In the same vein, there’s a workshop about Re-porting on Risk/Statistics (207C) today from 2 to3:30 p.m.

Journalists and Math:Help!

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Bjorn Lomborg: Going after a Pet Peeve

Lomborg, Bjorn. 2001. The Skeptical envi-ronmentalist : Measuring the Real State ofthe World. Cambridge University Press. 540 p.

Valérie Martin

Backstage at the World Conference on ScienceJournalism, Jay Ingram, producer and hostof the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet,talked to us about the secrets of good tele-vision reporting. Ingram is the author ofnearly ten scientific books, including threefor children. He also pens a column for theToronto Star.

Do your homework Suppose archeologists discover a cache ofprehistoric tools. A reporter wants to coverthe event. “First of all, the reporter shouldhave solid general knowledge of the subjectfrom the outset. Why? Because that’s howyou get a handle on what’s driving the story,its appeal. Also, with a grasp of the subject-matter, you can make it understandable,”explains Ingram.

Beautiful peopleHe recommends carefully selecting guestsbefore taping a program. “They should comeacross well on screen, in other words betelegenic and effective. In the theatre, ourinterest is likely to be sparked when theactors have visual appeal and turn out to beexcellent performers. The dialogue and storybecome easier to remember. The sameapplies to a television report if the peopleyou see are young, eloquent, committed, andgood-looking with a strong personality,”Ingram points out.

LogicYou don’t start Goldilocks at the end! A goodstory has a beginning, a middle with setbacksto create suspense, and an end. The sameapplies to reporting. “The art of storytellingis more important than gripping images.Sometimes journalists are too obsessed withthe technique, the shot and the lighting, andtend to forget about the narrative elements,”he says.

I love my audience and they love me!Fingertip knowledge of your audience is vital.“When talking to children, you try to put your-self on their level, says Ingram. His secondgolden rule: try not to swamp the audiencewith an overload of information. “Otherwiseviewers can’t filter or remember the facts. It’sbetter to say less and take the time to diginto it thoroughly. Go for the gist.”

His last word? “You can’t ignore the factthat we’re still subject to the demands ofadvertisers and public taste. It’s a shame tohave to say it, but it’s part of the truth,” hesigns. “We’re not completely independent-minded.”

Ingram will talk about the secrets of good report-ing in the session on How They Did It (205A) todayfrom 2 to 3:30 p.m.

How to Tell a Good Story: First, Know and Respect Your AudienceDenise Proulx

Time magazine ranked Bjorn Lomborg in the100 most influential people on the planet.He’s the pet peeve of environmentalists andacademics, who call him an extremist andfraud making excuses for industrial polluters.

Certainly the Director of Denmark’s NationalEnvironmental Assessment Institute, bestknown as author of The Skeptical Environ-mentalist – a book published in 2001 thatremains a hot subject of debate in scientificcircles – raised a fundamental issue: shouldwe be alarmed about the state of the planet?And in areas where action is called for, whatshould the priorities be?

A Professor of Statistics in the Political Sci-ence Department at Aarhus University, Lom-borg acknowledges the depletion of natu-ral resources and considers the decline intropical rainforests a temporary phenome-

non. For him, poverty and hunger are on thewane and climatic change is far from beingthe worst threat to humanity after war. Heharshly criticizes environmentalists for culti-vating a climate of fear and propagating var-ious environmental myths, in his view to sup-port their fundraising campaigns andstrategic position in civil society. He has evendared challenge the credibility of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) which says climatic change is expos-ing the planet’s population to serious envi-ronmental, social and economic threats inthe 21st century.

Lomborg bases his statements on recent sta-tistical data obtained by finetuning indica-tors on the state of the planet. His numer-ous detractors in academic journals accusehim of making selective, incomplete andbiased use of the scientific data he tosses atthe media as fodder, without regard for thedisinformation and confusion this causesamong the public. Prominent researchersaccuse him of casting dishonour on the sci-entific community. “Lomborg is a joke. Hedraws no distinction between environmen-talists and scientists,” says University ofAlberta Biology Professor David Schindler.

Lomborg replies that the media pick upalarmist statements without examining thetruth of the litany of disasters and withoutadequately questioning the scientific assess-ments advanced. “Journalists should alsoreport on long-term trends, focus on theimportance of the issues, and discuss notonly the benefits and suggested alternatives,but also the real costs of the miracle solu-tions proposed,” he says.

Attend the session on Skeptical Environmentalistor Environmental Skepticism? (209C) today from4 to 5:30 p.m. where none other than Lomborg andSchindler will face off in a debate.

Canadian science makes headlines!At a news conference yesterday at noon, Ron Clowes, a geophysicist with the Universityof British Columbia and director of the Lithoprobe project, released a few findings ofthe research done by his team. The project, a study of the evolution of our continent fromits origins and the fascinating processes involved, ranks among the most ambitious in theearth sciences sector. In addition to seeing a 3D representation of Canada's geologicalbase, those on hand learned about some of the concrete applications of studying thegeological characteristics of Canada's regions and gained a better understanding of thedangers associated with West Coast earthquakes. Following his presentation, Clowes ans-wered questions from the audience.

To learn more about the LITHOPROBE project visit: www.lithoprobe.ca.

w w w. s c i e n c e p r e s s e . q c . c a / c o n g r e s /

Editor-in-chief: Josée Nadia Drouin. Reporters: Julie Calvé, Raphaëlle Derome, Charles Désy, Anny Guindon, StéphanieLalut, Pascal Lapointe, Erwan Le Fur, Valérie Martin, Delphine Naum, Denise Proulx, Marie-Hélène Veilleux. Con-tributors: Jean-Marc Fleury, Christopher Sloan, Véronique Morin. Translation: Susan Segal. Illustrations: JacquesGoldstyn. Graphics: Cyclone Design Communications Inc.

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Fun with ScienceValérie Martin

How do you sell story ideas? Journalists Deb-orah Blum and André Picard tackled this vitalissue with a great deal of humour yesterday.What follows are the key points.

• Understand the boss

Is your editor-in-chief an astronomy buff? Toget the editor on your side, propose storiesabout the latest discoveries on Mars. Are theya hypochondriac? Suggest a health issue. “Ifyou find out his prostate is the size of agrapefruit, he’s likely to be interested in apaper about the male apparatus. You’re incontext!” joked André Picard, a reporter forthe Globe and Mail. “To be part of the net-work, to stay in the game, you have to cul-tivate relations with them. If you keep intouch, they’ll start offering you jobs, even ifthey’re running other publications,” saidPulitzer Prize winner Deborah Blum.

• Science is funny

“I love writing about animal behaviour. Ithoroughly enjoyed doing an article aboutroosters who fool hens to attract them. Icouldn’t resist throwing in a few jokes relatedto people. I try to seduce my readers byhumanizing the world. The things around usare intriguing,” said the featured reporter.Picard also shared his experience. “For aseries of reports on Canada’s most obese

cities, there was a ton of whacky data. It wasa huge hit.”

• Watch the news

Always keep up with the latest developmentsand the hot issue. “When a young MS vic-tim committed suicide, people were moreinterested in learning about the how the dis-ease develops,” said Picard. He put healthand “pigging out” at the top of list in draw-ing the most readers.

• Never give up on an idea

“Editors come and go. Every time a new onecomes along, I pull unpublished stories outof the drawer and try selling them,” saidPicard. “You have to take risks,” Blum opti-mistically believes. “If our story doesn’t cre-ate a stir or isn’t published, we should con-sider it an exercise in identifying ourstrengths and weaknesses.”

• Show your face

“You always have to keep your name in cir-culation. Visibility is an investment. It cancost you money — by attending conferencesor travelling — but you have to make thingshappen and make choices,” said Blum.

Time to hit the keyboard! Submit your best ideasat the Meet the Editors workshop from 10:15 to11:45 on Thursday, October 7 in room Cartier AB.

AGENCE

SCIENCE-PRESSEThe world’s onlyFrench-languagescience news agency! A 25-year

track record!

Read InfoFlash online at

InfoFlash was produced by Agence Science-Presse.

AnnouncementsMEET THE EXPERT

Stéphane Bédard, President and Chief Exec-utive Officer of Victhom Human Bionics willbe on hand in the Meet the Expert area ofroom Viger A and B today from 9:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m.

Today and tomorrow at the UniversitéLaval booth in room Viger A and B you canmeet :

• Dr. Pierre Guertin and his paraplegic micewho can walk again as the result of a treat-ment discovered by his small team

• Denis Ouellet who will present the resultsof his research into 2D/3D artificial vision.

PROGRAM ADDENDA10:15 a.m. Session 203 –Writing from theMaelstrom. Moderator change: YanickVilledieu, Radio-Canada replacing MathieuPerreault, La Presse. Speaker change: TamarKhan, Business Day, South Africa replac-ing Karl Taro Greenfeld, Hong Kong

2 p.m. Session 206 – Missing Stories: Gapsin the Globalization of Science News.Speaker change: Nalaka Gunawardene,regional director, TVE Asia Pacific, Sri Lanka,replacing Fabiola de Oliveira, Brazil

4 p.m. Session 208 – Doing it Differently –Innovative Practice. Moderator: SonyaBuyting, Canada.

“Are There Really Cockroaches in Chocolate Ice Cream?”

Stéphanie Lalut and Delphine Naum

Joe Schwarcz heads the McGill Office forScience and Society, whose job is todemystify science for the general publicand make scientific information accessi-ble, understandable and objective. Theauthor of numerous popular science booksand a radio host, he also writes for Mon-treal dailies.

His tremendous perspicacity and 25years of experience with public lecturesas well as on radio and TV have enabledhim to successfully meet the challenge ofcommunicating science to the generalpublic.

Dr. Joe to the rescue!

Unfortunately, most of the time people don’tread beyond the headlines or subheadswhen looking at a newspaper – and jumpto the wrong conclusions. Dr. Joe, as hisradio listeners call him, puts the emphasisprecisely on the details in science, and noton reading headlines. In his view, thosedetails can be conveyed in an entertaining,understandable way. When people misin-terpret scientific issues, he replies withhumour and charm. In his hands, evenchemistry can become exciting! He alsobelieves that familiarity with research andgraduate studies in science make commu-nication easier.

Three speakers, including Joe Schwarcz, will tryto provide advice for journalists who want totackle more difficult topics in the session on Cov-ering Complexity and Controversy (305A) from2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 7 in roomCartier C.