The D.C. Science Writers Association held its annual Professional Development Day on Saturday in the University Student Center’s Grand Ballroom where more than 100 science writers, editors, public information officers, producers, freelancers and other science communicators gathered on the George Washington University’s campus.
The event, sponsored by the GW Office of Communications and Marketing and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, is also an opportunity for the university to showcase the work of its scientists and scholars.
Welcoming the attendees, Vice President for Communications and Marketing Ellen Moran said “the public mission of science doesn’t stop with discovery; it also includes sharing knowledge clearly, responsibly and with integrity.”
“In the academic research enterprise here at GW, we see ourselves as stewards of rigorous, evidence-driven research and truly appreciate the essential role that you as communicators play,” she said, “in fostering trust not just in individual breakthroughs but in scientific institutions and the scientific enterprise itself.”
DCSWA President Liz Landau said that for many science journalists and communicators, this has been a “tough year” due to cuts at the federal level, making events like Saturday’s even more important to the industry.
“It is no surprise that many have lost jobs due to industry forces in journalism and developments within the field of science,” she said. “We wanted to serve people who want to expand different skills and those who are becoming entrepreneurs for the first time as freelancers.”
Landau expressed gratitude to GW for hosting the event.
Photos by William Atkins and Sarah Hochstein/GW Today
David Michaels, an epidemiologist and professor at GW’s Milken Institute School of Public Health who has served in high-level public health positions in government, delivered the keynote speech.
Michaels’ talk focused on the forces that undermine trust in science and fight against evidence-based research policies that protect workers and public health. He noted that these tactics aren’t necessarily new, describing the “playbook written by the tobacco industry” in the 1950s. Doubting science, he said, became standard operating procedure for corporations and now the U.S. government in manufacturing uncertainty about products that cause harm.
“Literally millions of people died because [the tobacco industry] was able to convince the public, regulators and jurists that the science that lung cancer and smoking were linked wasn’t clear,” he said.
An executive at the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, documents show, put it simply: “Doubt is our product.” Michaels took it as the title of a book on the subject.
The fossil fuel, chemical and pharmaceutical industries have employed similar strategies, he said.
Michaels reminded journalists that they have “a role to play, to be bold and step into the void” when the hands of regulators are tied, encouraging them to avoid “bothsiderism.”
During the lunch, the science communicators met with GW researchers from different schools and colleges to discuss their work.
Andrew Ferguson, professor of law, discussed the future of digital forensics, comparing it to traditional forensic science in criminal cases. He outlined some of the core issues in his new book, “Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance,” which addresses the challenges of new forms of digital surveillance and resulting evidence in criminal cases.
Leigh Frame, executive director of the Office of Integrative Medicine and Health and associate professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, provided perspective on several rapidly evolving topics, including gut-brain axis, the microbiome, nutritional immunology, vitamin D research and integrative medicine.
Caitlin Grady, research director of the Global Food Institute and associate professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, focused on the food-energy-water nexus that drives much of the lab's research. She discussed two projects currently in the pipeline: research on climate pledges connected to Formula One, and a newly released report examining the impact of changes at USAID on the food aid ecosystem.
Patrick Hall, teaching professor of decision sciences and chief AI officer at the School of Business, talked to journalists about AI measurement and whether AI systems are ready for prime time. Hall, who serves on the board of directors of the AI Incident Database, explained the risks and accountability of AI and other technologies.
Lauren Pincus, assistant professor of chemistry in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, discussed research related to how plastic pollution degrades in the environment, the design of materials for critical metal recovery, what aspects of microplastic pollution were particularly concerning and what is still unknown or underreported.
Richard Ricciardi, School of Nursing professor and executive director of the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement, made the case for better media coverage of nurses and nursing, noting that the workforce makes up just 5% of health professionals represented in health science stories. He emphasized that nurses are on the frontline of providing health care, particularly in the implementation phase of new medical approaches, devices and medications, and are also involved in clinical and scientific research.
The day also included numerous professional panels on the use of short form video, strategies for maintaining career longevity and transitioning from staff positions to freelancing, and fostering trust and stories that matter in science. Science writers were also able to meet with editors from a variety of publications including the National Geographic, The Smithsonian Magazine, Science and others.
