THEMES

The overarching theme of the conference is “Science Journalism and Social Justice – our role in promoting resilience”.

There are six sub-themes with five possible proposal ideas for each listed below.

STATE OF THE PROFESSION: SCIENCE JOURNALISM AND JOURNALISM

Proposal ideas

  1. Science journalism takes time and requires resources, such as editorial and legal support, and that means funding. Look at new ideas, new models and current models that work
  2. Developing and strengthening the image of science journalism: why it matters to society as a whole and is worth investing in
  3. Science journalism as a form of investigative journalism
  4. Science journalism in the age of social media/digital platforms
  5. The impact of artificial intelligence, both the positives and negatives

SOCIAL JUSTICE: THE ROLE OF SCIENCE JOURNALISM

Proposal ideas

  1. Join the dots: good science journalism is a pillar of social justice
  2. Holding governments and researchers accountable: science journalism is key
  3. Making science meaningful and useful to citizens.
  4. News stories that change behaviour or affect policy to change lives – is it possible?
  5. The green transition, neocolonialism and geopolitical justice – including social justice aspects enriches stories

MISINFORMATION, DISINFORMATION AND FAKE NEWS

Proposal ideas

  1. Tools for identifying and disentangling mis- and information
  2. How to counter false messages/use of research and find out who’s behind them or financing them
  3. Coping with being trolled/targeted yourself
  4. Identifying and countering AI deep fakes
  5. Practical workshops that provide training in the management of mis- and disinformation

THE ART OF COMMUNICATION

Proposal ideas

  1. Core science: communicating basic sciences (and findings) for all media consumers
  2. Solutions journalism, advocacy journalism et al: should science journalists take a point of view?
  3. Science journalism and ethics
  4. The power of words to inform social justice; how the choice of words, language and storytelling can alter, for better or worse, people’s feelings about for instance a disease, a scientific finding, a natural disaster and more. Example: AIDS vs HIV; Afrikaans selfmoord (self-murder) vs selfdood (self dying), Mpox/monkey pox
  5. Planning for and measuring the impact of your stories

OUT OF THE BOX AND EX AFRICA

Proposal ideas

  1. How can science journalists empower themselves, network with each other, strengthen knowledge and ensure science is covered well in environments that are constrained – such as island nations/nations recovering from colonial pasts?
  2. Science journalists on the track of climate change issues in the Global South and other regions deeply affected
  3. How to tell local science stories that embrace difference/seek equity across the globe and within societies
  4. Where African science is done and published; reflections on its support, and how science journalism can be leveraged for knowledge and understanding of science
  5. Covering traditional and indigenous health care

WELLBEING FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET

Proposal ideas

  1. Making climate change stories meaningful and effective
  2. Tackling climate change denialism
  3. The intersection of health, climate change, and environmental sustainability
  4. Health journalism as a social justice issue
  5. The social, political and political determinants of health
  6. Controversies in health
  7. Vital tools for good health journalism
 

The World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) will take place at the CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa from 1 – 5 December 2025, with the theme “Science Journalism and Social Justice – our role in promoting resilience”.

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