We warmly invite you to this panel discussion our SPJ chapter is co-sponsoring on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 6-8 p.m. on UC's main (Clifton) campus. Here are the details!
“Reporting on Science in an Era of Misinformation”
Sept. 26, 6-8 p.m.
Probasco Auditorium
University of Cincinnati Main Campus (Clifton)
2839 Clifton Avenue
6:00-6:30 p.m. – networking reception
6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. – program and panel discussion (including Q&A session with audience)
This is a free event for the public that will feature a panel of scientists and journalists who will discuss how news media cover scientific topics in this era plagued with misinformation and disinformation. Our panelists will discuss: - how journalists cover scientific topics, including the process of selecting what science stories are covered in news outlets and how they're reported
- what challenges are involved in accurately interpreting and communicating scientific/health/environmental topics to the public (from the viewpoints of scientists and journalists), and
- how scientists and journalists can best work together to effectively and accurately communicate scientific topics to the public.
Panelists (see bios below) will include local scientists and health/science journalists, as well as national representatives from SciLine (a free and editorially independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that connects journalists with scientists) and The Open Notebook (a nonprofit organization that provides training and educational materials for journalists who cover science). The event is sponsored by the UC Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS) and the Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).
Panelists
Siri Carpenter is an award-winning journalist and is co-founder, executive director and editor-in-chief of The Open Notebook, a non-profit organization widely regarded as a leading source of training and educational materials for journalists who cover science. She is also the editor of the book “The Craft of Science Writing.” Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Science, Discover, Scientific American, Science News, bioGraphic and other publications. She is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers and was the 2023 winner of the Online News Association’s Community Award. She has a Ph.D. in social psychology from Yale University and lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Dr. Amy Townsend-Small is a professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability (SEaS) at University of Cincinnati. She has a Ph.D. in marine science from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in English and Biology from Skidmore College. She is a service-driven researcher, teacher and mentor in environmental science and policy, with a research focus on environmental impacts of the oil and gas industry. Together with her collaborators and students, she has published dozens of peer-reviewed articles and raised millions of dollars in research funding. She also works with local, national and international governments on greenhouse gas emissions reductions policies based in science. She recently served in the Biden-Harris Administration as the Senior Climate Advisor in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State. She is the recipient of the Science and Community Award from the Ohio Environmental Council and the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President of the United States.
Dr. Whitney Gaskins is the Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence, Community Engagement and Faculty Development in the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS). She holds a B.S. in biomedical engineering, M.B.A. in quantitative analysis and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering/engineering education. In her role as Associate Dean, Dr. Gaskins has revamped the summer bridge program to increase student support and retention as well as developed and strengthened partnerships with local area school districts to aid in the high school to college pathway. She serves as the Principal Investigator for both the Choose Ohio First Program (COF) and Ohio LSAMP grants. Through these grant programs, students receive competitive scholarship funding and professional development workshops, which help prepare them to enter the STEMM workforce. In 2009, she founded The Gaskins Foundation, a non-profit organization that launched the STEMulates year-round K-12 program, which is a free-of-charge program that introduces more students to math and science, and that currently offers programming in five cities. Among her many community roles, Whitney has been involved with the National Society of Black Engineers since 2003. Within the organization of more than 30,000 members, she strives to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
Sara Whitlock is a biologist with a background in synthetic biology and microbiology who is excited about scientific storytelling. She interacts with scientists and journalists on a variety of opportunities related to SciLine’s services for broadcast journalists— producing video clips of scientists responding to breaking news and arranging windows of availability with scientists so broadcasters can interview them. Before landing at SciLine, she earned an M.S. in biophysics & structural biology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied how bacteria organize their insides. While elbow-deep in bacterial cultures, Sara wrote about research and her experiences as a graduate student for STAT News, Pitt Med Magazine and Scientific American. When she’s not doing work for SciLine, she’s continued to work as a freelancer, producing podcast episodes for the American Geophysical Union and educational videos for SciShow.
Duane Pohlman is a national investigative correspondent for “Spotlight on America” and chief investigative reporter and anchor for Local 12 / WKRC-TV. In 37 years, his work at nearly a dozen stations and broadcast groups across the country has exposed political corruption, the resurgence of white supremacy and hate groups, and an endless list of threats and wrongdoings. For decades, he has also investigated environmental threats, from high levels of arsenic in treated wood that led to a voluntary national recall to his current five-year investigation of radioactive contamination, cancer and death in communities surrounding Cold War-era facilities that produced America’s nuclear bombs. Pohlman has received hundreds of journalism’s top national, regional and state honors, including National Headliner, Edward R. Murrow, AP, SPJ and Emmy awards. In addition, Pohlman has been named best journalist/reporter more than 20 times in five states and has been inducted into the Ohio Associated Press, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and Delphos St. John’s halls of fame. Pohlman is also the co-founder and president of the Ohio Center for Journalism, chair of the BGSU Journalism Program Advisory Board and a board member of the Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Jenny Wohlfarth (moderator) is a UC journalism professor and an award-winning magazine journalist with more than 30 years of professional experience. She earned her B.A. in writing from the University of Evansville, and her M.A. in editing & publishing from the University of Cincinnati, and began teaching at UC in 2000. She teaches a range of classes, including Environmental Journalism, Science & Nature Writing, Feature Writing & In-Depth Reporting, Magazine Writing, Travel Writing, Advanced Reporting, Women in Journalism, Advanced Magazine Writing and Magazine Publishing. Her professional work has been published in numerous national magazines and has covered topics ranging from art, design, architecture and agriculture to business, nature, science, the environment and travel. She is a former staff writer/editor at several national magazines and is a longtime contributing editor to Cincinnati Magazine. She is vice-president of the Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), the National Association of Science Writers and The Wildlife Society.
If you have any questions, please direct them to Cincinnati SPJ vice president Jenny Wohlfarth at Jenny.Wohlfarth@uc.edu. Thank you, and we hope to see you at this event on Sept. 26!
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