Comments from 2009 Fellows
Read how some of 2009's Fellows summarised their experiences:
Mark Sergeant - Daily Mirror and Science Media Centre
Mark Sergeant - Daily Mirror and Science Media Centre
Kate Mandeville - BBC News Interactive & BBC Radio Science Unit
Simon Choppin - Guardian
Sudeep Chand - BBC News and BBC Radio
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Simon Choppin - Guardian
Sudeep Chand - BBC News and BBC Radio
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| "For my media fellowship I undertook placements at the Daily Mirror and the Science Media Centre (SMC). My time at the Daily Mirror gave me experience of working as a science correspondent; monitoring press coverage of scientific stories, preparing articles on the latest scientific research and observing how the press operates ‘behind the scenes’. My time at the SMC was spent helping prepare press conferences to highlight new scientific research and also preparing background information sheets for journalists on topics such as epigenetics and swine flu. Through these activities I also got to know a large number of UK science correspondents. Together with my experiences at the Festival of Science, I had an informative and thoroughly excellent fellowship." |
| Mark Sergeant Lecturer in Psychology Nottingham Trent University |
| "I would highly recommend this placement. The opportunity to spend time with top-class science journalists will make you challenge any previous assumptions you had about journalism. We have a responsibility as scientists to communicate with the public – and where better to learn how to do this than with the most powerful communicators in Britain?." |
| Kate Mandeville NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Public Health University College London/NHS |
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| "As an academic interested in the relationship between science and the press, the media fellowship provided an invaluable opportunity to obtain experience working as a journalist. During my time at the Guardian I created blog articles, conducted interviews and witnessed a number of different aspects of modern journalism. A very valuable aspect of the fellowship was the opportunity to meet with the other media fellows at the British Science Festival. Individual experiences varied wildly, discussing and sharing our ideas was a valuable aspect of the fellowship. The festival itself was a very concentrated version of my time in London. There were many presentations and press conferences to attend as well as a plethora of big-hitting science journalists to silently admire. The fellowship has taught me a lot about how to relate to the media in the future from a professional perspective. It has also informed my personal opinion on the role of science within the media and the complexity of the relationship. I would recommend the media fellowship to any academic who has - or would like - a relationship with the media, or to a person who has a keen interest in how the press affects the opinions and acceptance of science within the British public." |
| Simon Choppin Sports Engineering Researcher Sheffield Hallam University |
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"Sudeep was media fellow at BBC News and BBC Radio Science. He had an inspiring and enlightening experience at this great British institution. He now returns to science and government with a strong sense that the media is an ally for public knowledge and the dissemination of science. However, for science to survive in the media, it must maintain its entertainment value. This is possible, but requires considerable skill and work from both scientists and journalists alike. He would thoroughly recommend the fellowship to colleagues." |
| Sudeep Chand Public Health Adviser Department of Health |
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