 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Profile of a Science Journo: LEIGH DAYTON, Science Writer, The Australian How did you get into science journalism?
By chance. I was working in current events TV in Canada -- where I went to graduate school -- when a friend said he was leaving his job as producer of a nationally syndicated radio show, hosted by David Suzuki. Would I be interested? I certainly was! What are the main obstacles you face? Science is the new kid on the media block. Unless there's a strong news "angle" or a stunning photograph there's little interest from editors, keen on the usual fare: politics, scandal, finance, crime and Nicole Kidman. Meanwhile, there's intense competition for limited space from reporters in the paper's bureaus around the nation, especially Canberra. What aspects of science do you feel most passionate about? I'm most interested in the role science plays in current events issues, from stem cell science to smart cards and personal privacy. Of course, who can go past human evolution and cosmology? What is your most memorable experience as a science journalist? Interviewing my first Nobel Prize winner, Harvard neuroscientist David Hubel. He shared the 1981 Nobel Prize for Medicine for work on the visual system of the brain. After I turned the tape recorder off we spent hours chatting about such mysteries as what the "reading" part of the brain does in people who are illiterate...and how it evolved in the first place. It was a magic afternoon and I was hooked. Do you have a particular philosophy when writing a story? It's important to write for readers, not scientists. Stories must be engaging, accessible and -- critically -- must answer a key question: why should I care? What is your advice about people trying to get into science journalism? The best science journalists are great journalists. Get a job -- any job -- in the media and learn the craft. Then keep your fingers crossed. Science journalism jobs are thin on the ground in Australia. What do you do now and then to get science out of your system? There's no need to get science out of my system...just the newsroom! I take several deep breaths and remind myself how lucky I am to be paid to meet intelligent and fascinating people with a sense of wonder. If anyone reading this would like to submit a story idea how would you like them to contact you? Please send a message to daytonl@theaustralian.com.au
BACK to: Who's reporting science?
|
| Latest releases | Archive |  |
|
WOOLLY MAMMOTH DNA DECODED SOIL CARBON ACID OCEANS WATER ISSUES SAFETY OF RECYCLED WATER GENETIC VARIATION LINKED TO TRANSSEXUALISM GENETIC VARIATION LINKED TO TRANSSEXUALISM CLIMATE: URGENT CHALLENGE 2008 PM's PRIZES FOR SCIENCE NEW CONCERNS OVER STEM CELL TOURISM NEW CONCERNS OVER STEM CELL TOURISM AUSTRALIAN FLU EXPERT, GRAEME LAVER, DIES IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES - EXPERTS RESPOND IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES - JANE GOODALL RESPONDS GARNAUT FINAL REPORT - EXPERTS REACT CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS STILL BOOMING - NEW DATA GOOD BACTERIA MAY PROTECT AGAINST DIABETES ECO-LABELS: A THREAT OR AN OPPORTUNITY? GIVING CHILDREN PARACETAMOL INCREASES ASTHMA RISK - LANCET GIVING CHILDREN PARACETAMOL INCREASES ASTHMA RISK - LANCET CHEMICALS IN PLASTICS LINKED TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND DIABETES
|
||
 |
© Copyright 2005-2008 | Australian Science Media Centre | Credits | Disclaimer
Street Address: Armoury Building (SA Museum) North Terrace Adelaide South Australia 5000
