Aspen, Colorado

Science and the Media

Project Goals

The Science & Media conference was the first such conference to be held in Aspen and was intended to brainstorm a possible future for our inextricably linked institutions. It was part of a five-part series of colloquia held in the summer of 2007.

Stakeholders

  • Neal Lane, former science advisor to President Bill Clinton
  • Mike Lemonick, former science editor of Time and a science professor
  • Michael Turner, an astrophysicist and member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Carl Zimmer, another science writer for the Times

Progress

Our first Summit was a spectacular success and exceeded every expectation -- the group achieved the goal during the first day, and then committed to form working groups elevating science to the national discussion among political leaders, corporate leaders, and foundations. Within two days after the conclusion of the Summit, we had a listserve, a mission statement, goals, strategies, and a set of science talking points which were delivered to Hillary Clinton.

The subsequent Roundtable, which kicked off the Aspen Institute Ideas Festival, was one of the most highly-regarded plenary sessions of the Festival. Our first international press attention arrived in the form of a blog on Time's website-more is on its way.


Project Summary

A group of eminent scientists and journalists will convene in Aspen this weekend to grapple with the question of how to ensure that accurate information about science and scientific endeavors ends up in media reports.

"Getting It Right: Science & the Media In The Emerging Media Landscape," is a four-day conference taking place at the Aspen Meadows Campus starting Saturday evening.

The event, which is not open to the public, has been designed to dovetail with the Aspen Ideas Festival, a seven-day gathering of industry, media, political and social heavyweights which begins July 2. The final event of the Science & Media conference is to be a roundtable discussion with Aspen Institute President Walter Isaacson moderating.

The Science & Media conference, according to a synopsis released by the Aspen Science Center, is the first such conference to be held in Aspen and is intended "to brainstorm a possible future for our inextricably linked institutions ... and then to describe steps required for this to happen, and then to take them. It is part of a five-part series of colloquia scheduled for the 2007 summer season.

"Our challenge is to create a 'Manifesto for Science and Media Excellence," the synopsis states, setting out "a blueprint of Best Practices for the scientific community interacting with media; the media interacting with scientists; both groups interacting with government, the public, corporations," all in ways that will result in "getting it right."

Among the high-powered guests taking part in the speeches, discussions and group debates are Isaacson, a former executive with CNN and Time magazine; television journalist Jim Lehrer; Neal Lane, former science advisor to President Bill Clinton; Mike Lemonick, former science editor of Time and a science professor; Michael Turner, an astrophysicist and member of the National Academy of Sciences as well as a science writer for The New York Times; Carl Zimmer, another science writer for the Times, as well as several other publications and a blog; and many more.

The four days of discussions will open Saturday evening with a talk by Kevin Ward, co-founder of the Aspen Science Center, with Physics Center board chairman George Stranahan, and president Andrei Ruckenstein.

The conference will close Monday evening with a private party in honor of the participants on the grounds of the Aspen Historical Society's Wheeler/Stallard Museum, now known as Ruth Whyte Park.

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