New role created to improve training in science journalism

The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is recruiting for a new position to coordinate science journalism training, as part of a series of steps to improve the quality of journalism in this field.

The new national coordinator for science journalism training will assess the existing state of science journalism training in the UK and identify what the priorities should be for new training. They will also create an online library of resources for all journalists to help improve the accuracy and science literacy of the profession.

The creation of the position was one of a series of recommendations made in January in a report to the government, Science and the Media: Securing the Future, which focused on ways to safeguard the quality of science journalism for the future and its current state in the UK. The report compiled by the Science and the Media Expert Group, which included Roger Highfield, editor of New Scientist, and Fransesca Unsworth, head of newsgathering at the BBC, also recommended an expansion of science training at the BBC and the roll out of more media training seminars for scientists.

The national coordinator will "deliver training in the basic principles of science reporting to news organisations and journalism students", says the report.

"Firm indications of an interest in developing and offering such training have already been shown by the Reuters Training arm, the Press Association, the Permanent Secretary of Government Communications and many undergraduate journalism degree courses."

Funding has been secured from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills for the first year of the position, but the society hopes financing can be found for further years, Andrew Garratt, RSS press and public affairs officer, told Journalism.co.uk.

The RSS has been chosen to recruit the national coordinator as it is working on a range of initiatives to improve journalists' understanding of statistics, such as regular training workshops and awards for statistical excellence in journalism, which underpin so much of science, he added.

But science training for journalists can range from very ad hoc training sessions, such as those offered by the RSS, to coordinated university courses and the new coordinator will be involved in identifying examples of best practice and where the gaps in training are, he said.

The creation of the online library resources will make it much easier for journalists to find the information and help that they need and is an opportunity for the new coordinator to put their mark on this area of work, said Garratt.

The new role will be salaried up to £35,000, dependent on experience. The deadline for applications is 31 May 2010.

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