iswa
The
International Science Writers Association
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ISWA NEWSLETTER NO. 3
*****IN THIS ISSUE****
1. DUES ARE DUE
2. PRESIDENT'S LETTER: REPORT ON ISWA AT THE
AAAS
3.. MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING
4. ISWA'S FLEDGLING WEBSITE
5. WCSJ 2002 BRAZIL ON TRACK FOR NOVEMBER
6. MEDIA NOTES AND TRENDS WORLDWIDE
7. NEWS ABOUT MEMBERS
8. NEW MEMBERS
9. A MODEST PROPOSAL
10. COMMENT SOUGHT ON WFSJ CONSTITUTION
DRAFT
(Note: This item is posted last simply because it is so long.
Busy members may want to skip this part; but, if you have the
time and inclination, please read and respond. )
* * * * * * * * * * * *
1. 2002 DUES NOTICE
Membership dues for 2002--still ridiculously low --are payable
immediately, or at least no later than May 15. Send a check or
money order for $25, payable in US funds and preferably
drawn on a US bank, to Howard Lewis, Secretary-Treasurer,
7310 Broxburn Ct., Bethesda, MD, 20817 USA. As always,
those members living in areas with currency restrictions may
contact us about alternative payments. And those members
who can afford to do so might consider sponsoring a member
from the developing world.
2. THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER: ISWA AT THE AAAS
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) held its annual meeting in Boston this year, thus
providing ISWA an opportunity to gather in its president's
"home town." The meeting was also an occasion for reflecting
on a year that had been, for many international organizations
such as ISWA, both tragically traumatic and remarkably
hopeful.
One example from the most trivial level: the disruption of
normal postal services, especially in the United States,
encouraged ISWA to make far better use of the Internet. The
result, I hope, has been much more frequent and fruitful
communication via email "newsletters" such as this one. (
Another benefit of abandoning "real mail" has been the saving of
real money! )
Other groups seemed to appreciate our new "rapid alert"
capability; and, in a time of postal uncertainty, both the AAAS
and the PCST Network used ISWA to pass along news of
their meetings, while several ventures, such as SciDev.Net,
sought our help in promoting programs ( See news item in this
issue) and in contacting possible speakers and participants for
international meetings.
Indeed, the International Conference of Science and Technology
Journalists held in Tokyo last October, just a little more than a
month after the tragic events in New York City, may prove to
be one of the most significant milestones on the road to the
future of science communication. Sponsored by the Japan
Science and Technology Corporation and the Japanese Science
and Technology Journalists Association, the event was
organized by Kenji Makino, with considerable help from
ISWA, whose major role was to help select speakers who
represented various national, regional, and international
journalism organizations. Naturally, many of those
representatives were also members of ISWA, including Lizbeth
Fog, Jim Detjen, Darryl D'Monte, Wolfgang Goede, Phillipe
Gauthier, myself and, of course, Makino. This core group
worked on the conference sidelines with other colleagues to
draft the outline of a proposed World Federation of Science
Journalists and approve plans for a Third World Congress of
Science Journalists to be held this fall in Brazil. (My full report
on that conference will be published in the next issue of Carol
Rogers' journal Science Communication.)
Another accomplishment was the co-sponsorship of a fellowship
program for journalists from Germany. With support from the
Robert Bosch Foundation of Stuttgart, six writers from small- to
medium-sized papers were brought to the AAAS meeting,
where they attended professional development workshops that
preceded the meeting and participated fully in all press activities.
ISWA provided advice and counsel to the Bosch organizers,
making sure they received information and instructions in a timely
fashion before the meeting, and, in Boston, providing a small
corps of mentors who could act as guides and counselors for the
journalists if necessary. Bill Schulz, Adlai Amor, Bob Cooke,
and myself met with the writers at the opening reception for
foreign press--and then held mini-briefings in the coffee room the
first two mornings of the meeting. In addition, with the support
of the Bosch Foundation, ISWA organized a luncheon seminar
on "The State of Science Writing Around the World Today,"
featuring presentations from a number of ISWA members--
Amor, Bruce Lewenstein, and Bhupesh Mangla, as well as
other colleagues, including David Dickson, Pascal LaPointe of
Canada, Axel Fisher of Germany, Istvan Paluygai of Hungary,
and a writer from Die Zeit. By all measures, it was a great
success--with a surprisingly large attendance, no thanks to the
AAAS which managed to get the time and room location wrong
and to coschedule us with another similar-sounding event.
Despite those lapses, or perhaps more because of the Chinese
buffet, the seminar was standing room only! The Bosch
Foundation was extremely happy with the results--and there are
tentative plans to repeat it next year at the AAAS meeting in
Denver.
The next major activity for ISWA--and many of its members--
will be the Third World Conference of Science Journalists
November 24-27 in Brazil, where the World Federation will be
formally established. I am confident that the hopes for
increased international cooperation and expanded global
perspectives expressed in Japan in those dark days immediately
following September 11 may be realized in Brazil a year later.
--James Cornell
3. MINUTES OF THE 2002 ANNUAL MEETING:
BOSTON
President Cornell opened the meeting with a report on finances
and a question: Should we raise dues? He acknowledged that
the present dues structure poses no great hardship on most
members, but can be a sticky problem for members in countries
with currency problems, where the sum --payable in US funds--
can be prohibitive. He asked if there were any strong feelings
among the
members present about a dues increase. Robert Cooke
volunteered: "Unless there's a crying need, I'd say keep them the
same." There was a murmur of agreement. (A reminder:
Annual dues are US $25, payable immediately.)
Mr. Cornell reported on stalled efforts to create a web page,
due to insufficient funds and expertise available between the two
officers present. Cooke announced that a journalist-managed
web page was soon to be placed on auction at his church and
that he would try to buy it for ISWA as a contribution. (See
below.)
Mr. Cornell asked members present whether they would object
to limiting the mailing list to e-mail addresses only. Also
whether they agreed with one member who complained that the
newsletters were too long. They did not object to the proposed
mailing list, or to the length of the newsletters. With respect to
frequency, however, general agreement that once a month was
sufficient.
Mr. Cornell reviewed activities of previous year [See "letter"
above.]; and, in discussion of the proposed formation of the
World Federation of Science Journalists [WFSJ], he introduced
Paul Raeburn, president of the U.S.National Association of
Science Writers (NASW) and, like Cornell, a member of the
planning committee of WFSJ. Raeburn said that NASW was
prepared to respond favorably and that it was his feeling that
WFSJ would be able to help in issues involving international
royalties and copyright. He specifically cited the NASW
executive board as very excited about the proposal in two
respects: one was the opportunity to participate in the training of
science writers in both developing and industrialized nations and
another was the recognition that "we in the U.S. can have a very
insular view and remain unaware of what is going on in other
countries -- in other words, we have a lot to learn from
participating in such an international organization. I am sure that
my successors will be equally interested."
Mr. Cornell noted that some of the planning group had concerns
that the federation might possibly be controlled by some one or
another national group, but added that those concerns had
always been present in previous attempts to create an
international body of this kind. The ensuing discussion reflected
a generally positive view of the proposed organization.
Mr. Cornell ended the meeting with a reminder of all the social
events following the meeting to which ISWA members would be
welcome.
--- Howard Lewis
4. ISWA HAS A WEBSITE--BUT STILL NEEDS SOME
HELP
Thanks to the generosity of member Bob Cooke, who paid for
the site through an auction bid at his church, and his colleague
Pam Robinson of Newsday, who secured the URL and posted
the initial information, ISWA finally has a website:
internationalsciencewriters.org ( Alas, as Bob and several
members before him discovered, to their mixed amusement and
chagrin, the "ISWA" domain had already been claimed by the
"International Solid Waste Association.") Before anyone gets
too excited, however; please note that the current site is still, as
they say in the web-trade, "under construction," and hardly
ready for prime time.
The assistance of any ISWA member able and willing to handle
web management and maintenance would be most appreciated.
Contact Jim Cornell to discuss how
you can help.
5. 3RD WORLD CONFERENCE OFFICIALLY
DUBBED "WCSJ BRAZIL 2002"
With an official logo and catchy title, the Third World
Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ Brazil 2002) seems
a distinct reality. To be held in conjunction with the 7th
Brazilian Congress of Science Journalism, the conference is
scheduled for November 24-27 in the city of San José dos
Campos( Sao Paulo State), home of the Brazilian space agency
(INPE) and the aviation giant Embraer. Registration and a call
for papers should be available on the conference website
sometime this month. ( In the meantime, if you can read
Portuguese, check out the initial site at
www.abjc.org.br/congresso)
On the conference agenda, in addition to the usual plenary
sessions, panels, and individual talks by international superstars
of science writing, will be scientific and literary discussions,
ample happy hours, technical visits to local research centers,
and, hopefully, founding of the World Federation of Science
Journalists (WFSJ).
Special thanks go to ISWA member Fabiola de Oliveira,
whose efforts to bring the conference to Brazil and to ensure its
truly international character have been most extraordinary.
6. MEDIA NOTES AND TRENDS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT NEWS FROM
AFRICA NOW ON LINE
In cooperation with David Dickson's new online science service
for the developing world, ISWA member Otula Owuor has
created a special sub-service < Sciencenewsdev.co.ke> that
focuses on science and development in Africa. The first issues
have carried a number of important articles on HIV/AIDS,
biotechnology, science trends in Nigeria, and other
developments with major socio-economic implications for the
African
continent. The African site has links to Scidev.net, which in turn
provides access to science news from other developing nations
as well as to articles from Nature and Science.
MOST UK WEB PROVIDERS WANT TO CHARGE FOR
CONTENT
The majority of online publishers in the UK plan to charge for
content in the near future, according to a poll by the Periodical
Publishers Association Interactive (PPAi), with 66 percent
planning to begin charging very soon. In fact, the PPAi found
that most publishers were more concerned about how to charge,
rather than with whether they would charge or not.
US PUBLIC GENERALLY THINKS ON-LINE NEWS
CREDIBLE
A study from the Online News Association has found that the
general public in the US has accepted the Internet as a credible
news source. Those polled by the ONA said online news was
as credible as news from more traditional sources. Thirteen
percent said the Internet was their “most trusted source for
news." Younger people were most likely to say online news
was credible. Although most Internet users did not strongly
believe that the
credibility of online news was an issue, many journalists working
in traditional media did. According to the ONA, “Media
workers did not rate online sources as highly, in terms of
credibility, as they rated traditional sources.”
[Editor's Note: The two survey items above are excerpted from
an excellent free service offering up current opinion polls and
business statistics concerning the Internet. To see the latest
surveys and to subscribe, see: http://www.nua.com/surveys/
UNESCO 'SOURCES' IS NO MORE--NEW EMPHASIS
ON MASS MEDIA TO BUFF IMAGE
"Sources," a popular and influential monthly magazine on art,
culture, and science and especially the relevance to development
issues, ceased publication as of December 2001, and the
UNESCO will now concentrate its outreach and communication
efforts on mass media, including the Internet. An excerpt from
the journal's final editorial offers some insight on UNESCO's
new attitudes toward public relations:
"Events over the past few months have shown us that the efforts
of those international organisations working for peace and
dialogue between cultures are more important than ever. From
this perspective, the pertinence of UNESCO’s programs and
the organisation’s defence of such values as education for all,
protection of cultural diversity, press freedom, or the
eradication of poverty, is striking.
"However, in the public eye, UNESCO is largely invisible and
has been for a long time. It’s not a question of vanity. On the
contrary, a poor public image is a real handicap: UNESCO
carries little weight in the media, and by extension, in public
debate. This is particularly worrying at a time when the world is
crying out for some ethical signposts. UNESCO has chosen to
face up to the problem and decided to radically change its
information policies.
"We have to reach out to all citizens, not just those who’re
already converts to UNESCO’s cause. After all, the
organisation’s concerns and activities touch everybody’s lives in
some way or another: the debate over human cloning for
example, or access to clean water, the digital divide, education,
protection of our cultural and natural heritage, are of concern to
us all, wherever we may live.
"It is UNESCO’s duty to fuel debate on these and other issues
that fall under its mandate, by providing the facts and figures
and the analyses, and at the same time by promoting the
universal values it stands for.
"No organisation today can fulfill such a goal without the support
of the media: the newspapers, magazines, radio and television
stations, and now the internet that people everywhere read,
listen to, watch and consult daily.
"For UNESCO, this means using its financial and human
resources differently. To this end, it has been decided to
suspend UNESCO Sources as of this issue. The UNESCO
Courier will also cease publication in its present form. It will be
replaced initially by a new-look, free, Courier, which will come
out twice yearly (May and October) in the six official languages
of the United Nations...Michel Barton, Director, Bureau of
Public Information "
GREAT WEBSITE FOR WORLD NEWS
http://news.google.com
This is a fantastic new website for newshounds. It steers you to
headlines on subjects of interest from an international list of news
sources.
7. NEWS ABOUT MEMBERS
Backpack journalism. Multimedia storytelling. Convergence
reporting. Media critics are calling it many things, with the most
enthusiastic describing it as "the future of journalism," and
ISWA member Jane Stevens is one of the pioneers in the fine
art of blending print, audio, and video news with web wizardry.
In fact, she is offering intensive, hands-on, workshops -- the
next at Harvard Medical School --on the basic skills necessary
to produce multimedia stories for the Internet. The workshops
are geared to journalists and others interested in making the
transition from print or television to electronic communications.
For a recent story on early efforts to merge newspaper,
television and Web reporting, see:
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/trends/1016158074.php
* * *
.The 2002 Outstanding Book Award for the "best general
nonfiction" given by the American Society of Journalists and
Authors (ASJA) has gone to Erich Hoyt for his "Creatures of the
Deep: In search of the sea's 'monsters' and the world
they live in" (Firefly Books, 2001). Hoyt is a Canadian-
American author and marine naturalist who lives in North
Berwick, Scotland. "Creatures of the Deep " is his 13th book.
The award was presented April 12 in New York City.
* * *
After seven years of piloting communications at the Whitehead
Institute in Cambridge, MA, Seema Kumar is taking on a new
challenge and a new role as Associate Director and Chief
Communications Officer of the recently created Whitehead
Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research. She will assume a
broad range of responsibilities, including strategic initiatives, long-
range planning, and communications.
* * *
John Walsh of Chevy Chase, MD is the author of "Wide
Crossing: The West Africa Rice Development Association in
Transition, 1985-2000," a chronicle of what has been described
as "probably the most important development ever in West
African science." According to the publisher, the West Africa
Rice Development Association (WARDA) was established in
the early 1970s to help farmers increase rice production. Africa
is the only continent in which population has grown faster than
food production; this shortfall provokes the syndrome of
poverty, hunger and violence there. WARDA first attempted to
alleviate the food deficit by introducing high- yield imported
crop varieties. This strategy drove the green revolution in Asia
and Latin America, but failed in Africa. This book recounts
WARDA's revival after nearly succumbing in the 1980s to the
effect of a harsh agricultural environment, combined with
severe economic, political, and social constraints. WARDA
made crucial advances in rice research and also coped
successfully with non-scientific challenges. Today, WARDA
can offer important lessons for international development
organizations on dealing with African conditions. Published by
Ashgate (www.ashgate.com), 162 pages, hardback, $64.95.
* * *
Parviz Tarikhi, Space Science and Technology Specialist with
the Iranian Remote Sensing Center, Tehran, was selected as
Iran's Distinguished Researcher of the Year in the space science
and technology field. The award particularly recognized his
significant work on interferometry.
* * *
The firm of SpaceRef Interactive Inc. has donated an
experimental greenhouse to the SETI Institute's Center for the
Study of Life in the Universe that will operate on Devon Island,
Nunavut, in the Canadian high Arctic. Dedicated to Sir Arthur
C. Clarke, the originator of communications satellites, the
author of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and almost 100 other
books, and one of the founding membes of ISWA, the "Arthur
Clarke Mars Greenhouse" will support research activities that
may lead to the human exploration of Mars. "Look out, Mars -
here we come!" said Clarke.
* * *
Alan McGowan is teaching "The Environment and You" as part
of the Graduate Faculty this semester at The New School
University, New York City. He is also President of The Gene
Media Forum, a non-profit center for information about genes
and genomics, a source source of background and contacts for
journalists. Contact him at 11 East 61st Street, New York, NY
10021 Tel: 212.826.0255 Fax: 212.826.0253 Web:
www.genemedia.org
* * *
Jim Detjen writes from Tianjin, China, that he is "teaching
journalism courses at Nankai University this semester as part of
a Fulbright scholarship." He also asks members for contacts
with Chinese science or environmental writers. Any
suggestions would be helpful. Contact him at: Jim Detjen,
Visiting Fulbright Professor, Room 1206 Foreign Guest House,
Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, People's
Republic of China
Tel. (022) 2350-5219 or (022) 2350-4322, Mobile Phone:
13820413244, FAX: (022) 2350-2990
* * *
Meanwhile, back at Detjen's academic homebase of Michigan
State University, where he is director of the Knight Center for
Environmental Journalism, his graduate student and fellow
ISWA member Susana Guzman is doing as her thesis research
a survey of environmental journalists in Mexico to determine
their experience, training, background, and other characteristics.
A similar survey of American environmental journalists was
conducted by Detjen and Fred Fico of MSU in 1999.
* * *
Alexander Dorozynski's long-awaited "autobiography" of Lenin,
"Moi, Vladimir Oulianov Dit Lenine," has been published in
France by le Cherche Midi Editeur. If you read French, ask
Alexander to send you a copy. He can be reached at
* * *
And, Anthony Michaelis, one of the earliest members of ISWA
and the founder of the journal "Interdisciplinary Review" has
published his own, unusual, and possibly unique autobiography.
Drawing on his career as writer, editor, and academic, Tony
has divided the book into a series of short, journalistic vignettes,
each providing a snapshot of a time, place, or seminal event in
his long and varied life. Unless someone can demonstrate
otherwise, this may be the first autobiography ever of a science
journalist. Tony would certainly love to make such a claim, so
he asks readers --and colleagues--if they can think of other
examples of this special genre.
8. NEW MEMBERS
Bill Cohen, president and publisher of The Haworth Press,
Binghamton, NY; Philippe Gauthier, a Montreal freelancer who
represented both the Canadian Science Writers Association
and the Quebec Association of Science Communicators at last
October's meeting in Japan; Zoe A. Hoyle, a science writer and
technical editor with the USDA/ Forest Service Southern
Research Station in Asheville, NC; Homayoun Kehyri, a
biologist, conversationist, and science journalist for several
magazines and newspapers in Iran and producer of the
"Panjereha Show," a special television program for young
Iranians living abroad; Jukka-Pekka Lappalainen, a freelancer
who was once a science journalist for "Helsingin Sanoma" and
before that head of public information for Helsinki University;
Penny Park, a longtime contributor to Canadian science
broadcasting and now a senior producer for the Discovery
Channel (Canada); Norman Swan, MD, medical and health
correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (
He hosts the "The Health Report" on ABC radio and "Health
Dimensions" on ABC TV.); and, Narges Shokohi Tenarani,
radio producer ( "Rah-e Sab" and "Dar Khal Vat-e Bidaran")
and science writer for newspapers and magazines in Tehran,
Iran.
9. A MODEST PROPOSAL
Secretary-Treasurer Howard Lewis has suggested something
that should add some meat to our newsletter: Inviting members
to submit a report of some 300 to 500 words on the social,
political, and/or professional issues affecting science writing in
their specific localities. It might be something as sweeping as
denial of access to government science organizations or as local
as the formation of a university curriculum in science journalism.
Although we invite you all to submit items without further
urging, some of you should be prepared to receive a formal
request from Howard soon. Please join in the effort to make
this newsletter more relevant, timely, and useful.
10. DRAFT WFSJ CONSTITUTION OPEN FOR
COMMENT
The group that proposed formation of a World Federation of
Science Journalists in Tokyo, Japan, last fall, has completed the
first draft of a constitution. That draft, with comments, queries,
and suggested changes or additions by Howard Lewis,
Wolfgang Goede, and myself appearing in brackets, is
presented here. Additional comments by Goede are appended
at the end of the draft for your consideration. Other opinions,
complaints, or comments by ISWA members are invited.
Please send them to me and I'll pass them along to Werner
Hadorn of EUSJA; or, if you prefer, contact him directly at:
---Jim Cornell
WORLD FEDERATION OF SCIENCE JOURNALISTS
CONSTITUTION [Draft]
Article1: Definition[s]
1.1 The World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) is a
politically independent, unincorporated [?], non-profit umbrella
organization [an "association of associations"] representing
science [and technology ] journalists and science [ and
technology] journalism organizations in all parts of the world
[and dedicated to the spirit of cooperation and the creation of a
"truly global network" described in the declarations issued at
two World Conferences in Tokyo (1992) and Budapest,
respectively.]
1.2 For legal and administrative purposes, the WSFJ is
officially located at the site of the European Science Foundation
(ESF) in Strasbourg, France (1 quai Lezay Marn Èsia, F-6700
Strasbourg). [ check address?]
1.3 The WFSJ conducts itself in accordance with the
procedures and policies of the ESF [and adheres to the general
principles of the United Nations Education, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO). ]
[1.4 The WFSJ supports, respects, and works to protect the
rights, safety, and livelihoods of all journalists in all countries,
regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, or sexual
preference.]
Article2: Purpose and Objectives
2.1 The WSFJ strives to improve communication between the
world scientific community and general society [by promoting
and defending the free flow of information both within that
community and to the general public through the news and
information media.]
2.2 The WSFJ maintains a website and other means of global
communication for disseminating information about advances,
achievements, opportunities, and trends in science journalism,
[as well as current issues, problems, and threats to the field.]
2.3 The WSFJ facilitates training, networking, and education for
young science journalists everywhere, and especially in the
developing world.
2.4 The WSFJ organizes regular exchanges between its member
organisations and their individual members, including site visits.
2.5 The WSFJ coordinates periodic convenings of world
conferences of science journalists.
2.6 The WSFJ helps to establish and maintain professional
standards in science journalism.
Article3: Membership
3.1 The WFSJ is an "umbrella" organisation; thus, its
"members" are primarily other organisations ( i.e., associations);
in particular,
international organisations of science and technology
communicators (journalists, writers, broadcasters, film and
video producers, academic and research press officers, etc.)
national or regional organisations of science and technology
communicators, including those devoted to specific scientific
disciplines or branches of science writing (e.g., medicine,
physics, environment, etc. )
3.2 The WFSJ also offers individual membership for science
journalists not associated with international, national, or regional
organisations, [and especially those journalists who have no
access to such organizations.]
3.3 Prospective members, individual or organizational, must
apply to the General Assembly and be approved by a two-thirds
majority of that assembly. [Wouldn't it be burdensome to
require a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly for
approval of an individual application? Perhaps a smaller
executive group of some sort?]
3.4 Associate memberships (without right of vote, but with the
right of co-determination [meaning ?] ) may be granted to
organisations or individuals who support the purpose and
objectives of the WFSJ.
[3.5 Members who violate the spirit of the WFSJ constitution,
or who do not fulfill duties and responsibilities of membership,
particularly in regard to the timely payment of membership fees,
will be warned by the Executive Board, and may be expelled
by the General Assembly if three such warnings go unheeded.]
Article4: General Assembly
4.1 The General Assembly, composed of all members, is the
primary [administrative and deliberative body] of the WFSJ.
4.2 The General Assembly convenes every three years, [
generally at a place coincident with a major international science
conference likely to attract significant numbers of science
journalists and, thus, by implication, WFSJ members.]
4.3 An absolute[meaning?] majority of all [organizational ?]
members must be in attendance at the Assembly to effect any
changes or amendments to the Constitution; however,
4.4 For all other issues, a relative [meaning?] majority of
those [organizational] members present at an Assembly meeting
is necessary to effect an action. [What does "relative majority"
mean. If it does not imply some minimum number, perhaps it
would be better to add "Subject to a majority ratification by
electronic mail."]
4.5 If matters need to be decided upon between General
Assemblies, an electronic (i.e., email) vote will be called, with
a time limit of eight weeks set for responses and an absolute
majority of all [organizational?] members necessary to effect an
action.
4.6 The General Assembly elects the WFSJ Executive Board.
[ N.B. The question of voting rights is sure to come up.
Perhaps voting should be limited to organizational members
only. Otherwise, if WFSJ had only a dozen organizational
members, but 10 dozen individual members, the organizations
could be outvoted 10 to 1 every time. The situation could be
worse yet if all the members from a single country, say, the
United States, which has some 2000 to 5000 potential joiners,
voted as a bloc! Unlikely, perhaps, but it is a possibility that
should be considered...]
Article5: Executive Board
5.1 The Executive Board is the operational body of the WFSJ.
5.2 Members of the Board are elected for periods of three
years each; [which, after the initial founding, will be staggered to
provide continuity of leadership, direction, and experience.]
5.3 The Board consists of seven members: a president, two
vice- presidents, one secretary, one treasurer, and two members
without portfolio [at large?]. [NB: Could this article precede--
or be combined with -- Article 5.2?]
5.5 All continents should be represented on the Board.
[ N.B. Might not regions, e.g.. South Asia, South Pacific,
Mid- East, Caribbean, be better? There are big journalistic
differences between Japan and India, and between China and
Indonesia, although all are technically Asian. Also, some
attempt might be made to guarantee diversity in occupational
specialities-- freelance vs salaried, print vs broadcast,
environmental vs medical journalists, press officers vs working
press, etc. And, there needs to be some guarantee that at least
one member of the Board will represent "individual" members.]
5.6 The Board acts within the regulations of the Constitution and
those decisions imposed by the General Assembly, but also
within the limits of a budget accepted by the General Assembly.
It reports to the General Assembly via an annual report and
updated financial accounts submitted every six months.
5.7 The Board members meet at least once a year in person, but
communicates regularly with the General Assembly and, by
extension, all members, via a newsletter published on the WFSJ
website [ N.B. Perhaps we could add this line here, and drop
the last sentence in Article 5.6 above "....that includes an annual
administrative report and updated financial accounts published
every six months."]
Article6: Communication
6.1 The WFSJ website and e-mail are the key instruments for
disseminating information among the members of the WFSJ and
the Board.
6.2 English is the standard language of use within the WFSJ.
[but, every effort will be made to translate minutes, proceedings,
general announcements, etc. into the "official" languages of
UNESCO.]
[N.B. Should there be some stronger statement--perhaps as
Article 6.3-- stressing the need to promote and protect the use
of alternate languages in scientific publication?]
[N.B. Who writes, edits, and maintains the website?]
Article7: Finances
7.1 WFSJ income is derived primarily from membership fees.
However, funds be accepted from sponsors and donors, such
as UNESCO and other NGOs [and, under terms and
conditions acceptable to the Executive Board,] from
government and private entities.
7.2 The General Assembly decides the rates for membership
fees [and the appropriateness of sponsor and donor
contributions, as well as the conditions under which such
contributions will be accepted.]
7.3 Where applicable and fair, the membership [dues?] fee
structure will differentiate between individual and organizational
members, with the latter based on a scale appropriate to the
size and scope of the specific organization.
7.4 For individual members, the General Assembly will set rates
[reflecting] regional or national standards.
[7.5 All fees, dues, and contribution rates will be set in Euros;
however, payments in national currencies will be accepted at
the prevailing exchange rate at the time of payment.]
Article8: Dissolution
8.1 The WFSJ can be dissolved [only ] by a two-thirds majority
vote of all [organizational ?] members.
8.2 In the case of WFSJ's dissolution, any assets [ remaining
after legal and administrative obligations have been met ] shall be
taken over by the UNESCO.
* * *
Suggestions from Wolfgang Goede of some points to be added:
--- In the globalized world of the 21st ccentury with its
worldwide operating
institutions, science journalists need a comparable global
organization to match and
counteract this development.
--- The motor of development and progresss will be more than
ever science and
technology. The WFSJ will work toward making the major
scientific questions
transparent and meet the growing scientific illiteracy of the
citizens. This
means that science journalists are no longer only translaters of
scientists, but
they must also link the world of science and technology with the
daily life
of the ordinary person, clarify the processes of science and
technology and
their relation with society, and, last but not least, make the public
aware of the social
and political context of science and technology. In other words:
The WFSJ
promotes a new culture of science journalism, one that can cope
with the challenges
of the 21st century and live up to the principles of civil society
and
democracy. Only well-informed and educated people can
understand the
consequences of scientific issues, or the applications of research,
and ultimately support or reject them.
--- The WFSJ is obliged to the spirit of the statement issued by
delegates to the 2nd World
Conference of Science Journalists 1999 in Budapest (known as
the Budapest
Declaration) which recognized Art. 19 of the UN Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion ad
expression.
The right includes the freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any
media and
regardless of frontiers." Moreover, the Budapest Declaration
honours the
historic "Declaration on the Use of Scientific Knowledge and
Science Agenda
- Framework for Action of the World Confeerence of Science",
Budapest 1999,
which places science firmly within its social and international
context, and
calls on scientists everywhere to work on behalf of humanity.
This must also
be shared by science journalists.
-- The WFSJ will work to encourage publiishers and broadcast
producers
to dedicate more space and time to science and to lend support
for the professional training of science journalists.
[In keeping with this suggestion, Wolfgang also asks if yearly
meetings of the Board are really necesscary. Couldn't business
be conducted just as efficiently by electronic communications
and the money otherwise spent on travel used to support
training for young journalists? A good point. JC]
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