REPort: Continuing science education for environmental journalists and science writers: In situ with the experts

1. REPORT: CONTINUING SCIENCE EDUCATION
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS AND
SCIENCE WRITERS: IN SITU WITH THE EXPERTS
Abstract 7
Kaitlyn Rieper
Valenti, Joann M., and GaugauTavana. “Report: Continuing Science Education for
Environmental Journalists and Science Writers: In Situ with the Experts.” Science
Communication 27, no. 2 (December 1, 2005): 300–310.

2. PURPOSE
 Science education through experts for veteran environmental journalists
 Who, what, when, where and how of science
 Journalists reported still needing training despite already having graduate training
 NationalTropical Botanical Gardens Environmental Journalism Fellows Program
in Kauai, Hawaii (1999)
 Authors both directors of NTBG
 One began the Society of Environmental Journalists
 Journalists apply for the week-long training and are chosen based on potential to
reach wide audiences

3. METHOD
 Create a general thematic syllabus for the course with a different theme each day
 tropical biodiversity, plant and animal interaction, habitats, plants, and medicine;
conservation, collecting, propagating, restoration; ethnobotany, plants, people, and
culture; and ocean-forest links
 Experts come in and teach
 Classes each day begin in a garden classroom then move into the field
 Focus on real life experiences and connections
 Journalists asked to create a legacy report, rate the program, and fill out a semi-
structured survey

4. OUTCOMES
 First 7 years of the program
 Journalists learn to work more as a team and must produce a final team product
for each day
 Separation from western viewpoints
 Recognized relationships between indigenous peoples and ecosystems
 Journalists from 18 US states,Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Ukraine, Australia,
Singapore and Canada
 Real-world context – plant that the treatment for HIV was derived from
 In-field experience was the most helpful

5. CONCLUSIONS & CRITIQUE
 Journalists reported that the program was helpful and aided their understanding
of the science
 The program is successful in educating veteran journalists
 The reports allow the directors to determine faults and better the program for
future journalists
 Hawaii is a perfect location as it is the capital of extinction in the US and more
than half of the native flora is endangered
 Allowed journalists to see reality – Hawaii is not pristine
 Needed more identification of themes in the legacy reports
 Failed to explain how the rating and the survey were evaluated