Programme | Science in the Newsroom Global Summit 2020

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Science in the Newsroom Global Summit 2020

23 Nov 2020 to 24 Nov 2020
Virtual
Singapore

Timing: 07:00 & 12:00 GMT | 08:00 & 13:00 CET | 15:00 & 20:00 Singapore/Hong Kong Time

Programme | Science in the Newsroom Global Summit 2020

Programme

The media’s role in proving accurate, evidenced-based information around COVID-19 is vital. While there is optimism that vaccines will help see the back of this pandemic in 2021, scientists are warning there will be worse health crises to come.  What may lie ahead and how do newsrooms skill up to ensure their coverage accurate and valuable for the citizens they serve?

Top scientists will use their outlook to frame this event taking place online on 23 and 24 November.

Journalists and editors will participate in sessions on how to tell the story with impact, how to build specialists skills in the newsroom when budgets are tight and how to bolster your evidence-based journalism when misinformation is rife. 

The four 90 minutes sessions are:

Sessions

November 23
Monday

  • 15:00

    Into the Future: Getting science right for future health crises

    Location: 
    3:00 PM Singapore · 12:30 PM India · 8:00 AM Germany · 1:00 AM Mexico

    Scientists predict future pandemics and public health emergencies as the climate warms and diseases spread more frequently from animal to human. Media, as an important player in any response, needs to prepare now to avoid worse crises. Top scientists will share how they are using the lessons from SARS and 2020 to prepare.

    This session, which will frame the Science in the Newsroom Global eSummit will be led by Straits Times Senior Health Correspondent Salma Khalik.

    Moderator 

    • Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times, Singapore Press Holdings

    Getting ready for future crises

    What global health theats are anticipated - and what lessons from COVID-19 wiill shape future interventions?

    Speakers 

    • Director of the Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness department (GIH), World Health Organisation

    Escaping the Era of Pandemics

    A recent report on Pandemics and Diversity from IPBES warned future public health crises are inevitable, and could be far worse. What are drivers of risk and what should journalists be watching out for?

    Speakers 

    Evidence-based facts and the fight for the truth

    Data can show uncomfortable truths: why independent statistics are so critical in tackling misinformation and holding governments to account.

    Speakers 

  • 20:00

    Innovative Storytelling: Data, tools and techniques for impactful, memorable journalism

    Location: 
    8:00 PM Singapore · 5:30 PM India · 1:00 PM Germany · 6:00 AM Mexico

    This year has changed journalism. For many months all newsrooms were focused on a single issue - demanding fresh ways of telling the story.

    Moderator 

    Building blocks for good storytelling

    Journalism is not for journalists, but for citizens, is the stand-out message. What are the hooks that will increase the impact of your coverage among your community?

    Speakers 

    Visualising the pandemic at the FT

    The visualisation of data in a way that made COVID-19, its spread and impact easy to understand, has been a key to the success of the Financial Times, which has seen record readership thanks to its data journalism.

    Speakers 

    Telling the human story of COVID-19 deaths

    The human tragedy of COVID-19 often gets lost in the numbers. Not at News24.

    Speakers 

    • Engagement editor, News24, South Africa

    Frontline Investigations

    Speakers 

November 24
Tuesday

  • 15:00

    Countering Misinformation: how you can make a difference

    Location: 
    3:00 PM Singapore · 12:30 PM India · 8:00 AM Germany · 1:00 AM Mexico

    The promise of a vaccine for COVID-19 has provided a much-needed dose of optimism, but it also brings a new and urgent dimension to fight against misinformation which goes way beyond anything the media can tackle alone.

    Global agencies have joined forces to try to counter the infodemic and journalists have an important role to play in filtering junk from evidence-based information on treatments and possible cures.

    Moderator 

    • Communications Director, International Science Council

    The 2020 Infodemic and our permanently changed landscape for science and the media

    The scale consequences of mis- and disinformation about COVID-19 are enormous joined up thinking is needed for any response to this and future pandemics. The WHO is at the heart of this process. Hear what they are doing to try and engage the whole of society.

    Speakers 

    • Technical Officer - Lead, World Health Organization

    Buidling Regional Collaborations to Fight the Infodemic & The Role of the Media

    An example of a collaboration between operational agencies and fact checking organisaions that the World Health Organization is establishing in the African Region. The session will look into some of the challenges that face building similar alliances and the role that the media could play.

    Speakers 

    Covering science without hype: the case of Covid-19 vaccines

    We've seen this month how news about a potential vaccine buoyed the mood and lifted stockmarkets. How can journalists sift through the PR, commercial insterests and misinformation when reporting on vaccines?

    Speakers 

    • Medical doctor, Freelance Health Journalist and Science Writer

    Joining forces to fact-check the pandemic in India and beyond

    Alliances and community involvement has allowed The Quint to bolster its fact-checking capacity.

    Speakers 

  • 20:00

    Specialist Skills: how to boost newsroom expertise whatever your budget

    Location: 
    8:00 PM Singapore · 5:30 PM India · 1:00 PM Germany · 6:00 AM Mexico

    For years newsrooms, driven by shrinking budgets, have been cutting back on specialist science and health reporters. Without those key skills, how can they bring the required expertise back into their reporting? Smart collaboration in 2020 has helped newspapers in Australia and Canada up the quality of their content. And the WSJ has had a big rethink of how it works with data, in preparation for future rolling, live stories.

    Moderator 

    Speakers 

    • Research & Development Chief and Product Lead for Newsroom Tools, Wall Street Journal
    • Executive Director of The Royal Society of Canada
    • David Walmsley
      Editor-in-Chief, The Globe and Mail, Canada
    • Director of Communications and Outreach, Australian Academy of Science
    • Chief Executive, Australian Academy of Science
    • Deputy Creative Director, South China Morning Post

Science in the Newsroom Global Summit 2020

Contact 

Shariff