D1) The XX question
- Time:
- Saturday, November 2nd, 5:05 pm to 6:30 pm
- Location:
- Century Ballroom A
- Speaker(s):
- Christie AschwandenManaging editor, The Open Notebook; freelance journalist
- Maryn McKenna Author; contributing editor, Scientific American; blogger, wired.com
- Kathleen RavenFreelance journalist, Reuters Health
- Florence Williamsfreelance writer and author of The New York Times Notable Book, BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History
- Emily WillinghamWriter and scientist
- Moderator(s):
- Deborah BlumAuthor; professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Organizer(s):
- Deborah BlumAuthor; professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
When science writing first became an established profession in the United States — dating back to the establishment of NASW in the 1930s — it was almost entirely a male profession. In the last few decades, of course, that has changed in revolutionary ways. Women are now a prominent part of the profession, both as writers and editors, influencing the direction of science writing today. But although there’s no denying that big picture change, it seems the right moment to assess the small picture details. How influential are we, actually? How prominent exactly? How far has this “revolution” taken us in terms of position, pay, influence, and recognition. In this interactive session, we’ll offer both a data-rich presentation of evidence and a discussion-focused panel to explore this questions, gather feedback, and perhaps even put together a report to be shared with others.
Note: Recent incidents in the science writing community have heightened interest in professional issues that affect our entire society. In order to accommodate this increased interest, we have moved "The XX Question," Session D1, which focuses on women in the profession of science writing, to a new time slot and larger room. The session will now be held from 5:00-6:30pm on Saturday, November 2 in Century Ballroom A. The Awards presentation has been moved back to accommodate the shift and will begin at 7:00pm in the theatre at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, a short walk from the hotel and conference center.
The session may also present an opportunity for interested attendees to discuss a way forward for the science writing community. To foster trust and respect at our conferences, discussion in any session should be framed as a collaborative and reflective opportunity. As with any session or conference event, participants should treat each other with dignity and respect and refrain from offensive or charged comments that create a hostile environment for any attendee.
To assist in creating a respectful environment in which panelists and discussants can be truly heard, we ask that attendees refrain from using social media during this particular session. Even though we will attempt to create a social-media free space in which attendees devote attention to listening, as with all sessions comments and presentations are still considered to be made in public. The session will also be videotaped for potential distribution to the larger science writing community unable to attend the meeting.
