Advancing ecology and making it count.

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Austin Taylor
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1 Advancing ecology and making it count

2 Ecological careers in communication and journalism Becky Allen, BES Press Officer

My clients include the BES, I'm their press officer, but I spend most of my time writing for newspapers, magazines, universities, research councils,

3 Freelance journalist First degree in environmental science, a bit of a PhD, before going into publishing. Then moved into magazines and did a part-time MSc in science communication before going freelance. My clients include the BES, I'm their press officer, but I spend most of my time writing for newspapers, magazines, universities, research councils, government departments. I mostly write features, and interviews are at the heart of my work. I like being my own boss, the enormous variety in my work and the huge flexibility that gives me. I don't just write about science and the environment.

4 ... I miss working in an office, so twice in the past decade I've taken fixed-term contracts of a year or two. And in the back of my mind I probably miss things like sick pay (although I've not had a day off sick since I've worked for myself), a pension and paid holidays. Writing is a craft. It's not a gift you're born with. To do it well you need to spend many hours doing it, and reading others' work; you need to be able to work to tight deadlines; you need a good eye for a story, which I think comes from being curious and being observant; you need to be a good listener and to think other people's stories are more interesting than your own opinions; and you need to be able to build and maintain good networks, both of clients and contacts.

rejoined the BBC to work as a general reporter for the BBC News website; had an attachment with the Ten O'Clock News; then got job

5 BBC correspondent He started with work experience at local radio, worked as a freelancer at the BBC in SW England, developed technical skills as well as writing/broadcasting skills; Moved to London, worked as a researcher for an environmental think-tank, rejoined the BBC to work as a general reporter for the BBC News website; had an attachment with the Ten O'Clock News; then got job as environment reporter with the Science/Environment team. He's got a degree in broadcasting studies and professional journalist qualifications.

... On working conditions, he says Long hours, and a high degree of flexibility is a must; in a general newsroom, there is a shift pattern but in specialist

The most important skills, he says, are enthusiasm, willingness to graft hard, resilience. You can learn the rest.

6 ... On working conditions, he says Long hours, and a high degree of flexibility is a must; in a general newsroom, there is a shift pattern but in specialist units, then you need to be available whenever there is a story that needs to be covered. The most important skills, he says, are enthusiasm, willingness to graft hard, resilience. You can learn the rest. His advice on work experience is to offer yourself to local media, they will like people with specialist knowledge - be flexible to fit in with their requirements. There are fewer opportunities at a national level and less chance to develop your own style or stories.

Editor, Cambridge University A bench scientist turned writer and editor. She's got a degree in biology, a DPhil in molecular biology, five years' post-doc research in immunology.

She says: For this route, the DPhil and bench science was really important for the job at Elsevier, where I had to understand the science in the articles; for the current job, probably the most

7 Editor, Cambridge University A bench scientist turned writer and editor. She's got a degree in biology, a DPhil in molecular biology, five years' post-doc research in immunology. From there she moved into publishing: 6 years at Elsevier as an assistant editor, 6 years freelancing and now writes and edits Research Horizons. She says: For this route, the DPhil and bench science was really important for the job at Elsevier, where I had to understand the science in the articles; for the current job, probably the most important aspect isn't the qualifications (although I do get asked a lot by academics what my doctorate was in, so possibly this might help in what they think of me - not sure), it's the fact I've been here a long time and so know quite a few people across different departments.

8 ... On key skills she says for the first part of her career an eye for detail, commitment to accuracy, grammar and good spelling (did several courses), scientific knowledge. For her job now she'd add project management and networking. What I like, she says, is project management - I know that sounds boring but I really like seeing the magazine through from ideas to print - and I like it when I feel I've written a good story.

9 University science press officer Again at Cambridge. This is someone who writes a lot of press releases and news stories, rather than features, trying to get them covered in national and international media. She says her route was unconventional, but I don't think there is a conventional career path. She's got a degree in biology and a masters in environmental science. Her first job was in the US Senate, where she ended up as a press secretary because I was a decent writer. When she moved to the UK she worked in the press office at the University of Cambridge and then moved into the science research press office role.

10 ... She says: I do not believe that having a science background is necessary. Some of the best science comms people I know don't have a science background. It gives you the advantage of not assuming the reader knows something already. (Like my discussion with one academic when I wanted to explain what Schrodinger s cat was in the release and he replied everyone knows Schrodinger s cat.) Key skills, she says, are the ability to negotiate, and the ability to write clearly and concisely, avoiding jargon. What I love about my job is that I am always learning something new. I'll be writing about microchips and malaria in the same afternoon and I now know what Schrodinger s cat is.

11 Further info Postgraduate courses in science communication, science journalism and wildlife documentary making: www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/sciencecommunicationgroup There are lots of short courses, eg NUJ There's an interesting blog about science writing at: And an interesting article on starting a career in science journalism at sues/articles/2005_05_20/nodoi It begins We asked, they answered, and we wrote it down.

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