Jan. 29: Social Media for Science Writers

Social Media for Science Writers: Building Relationships, Building Business

They are everywhere you look these days – social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, ShareThis, etc. This barrage of new communication tools can be overwhelming, and many of us are wondering – what the hell is all of this stuff? How do I sort out which of these tools will benefit my career? How much of my precious time should I be spending to figure this out? What does it all mean for science communications?

To address these and related questions, SWINY has summoned a panel of social media experts – including generalists, academics, and science journalists – to share their views and experiences with you. We hope you will join us for this very special program.

Date:     Thursday January 29, 2009
Time:     6:00 PM – 8:30 PM (doors open at 6:00, program begins at 6:30)
Place:    Rockefeller University, Room 305 Weiss Building
1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (at 66th Street)

Refreshments will be served.

This program is free to 2009 SWINY members, and $10.00 for non-members. If you are not a member of SWINY, pay $20.00 for this event and you will be a member for the 2009 calendar year.

Our panelists include:

• Scott Dodd – Web Editor, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Judith Meskill – Self-described “Social Media Evangelist”
• Jay Rosen – Professor of Journalism, NYU
• Christie Nicholson – Editor, Scientific American Online
• Adnaan Wasey – Web Editor, The Takeaway, WNYC Radio

The program will consist of two parts:
• Traditional panel discussion, with Q&A
• Break-out workshops with individual panelists

Feel free to bring your laptop – free wi-fi is available throughout the Rockefeller campus. After the panel program, you will be able to sit down with the panelist of your choice who can assist you with setting up your own social media accounts. Panelists may also include online demonstrations as part of the panel program. In addition, knowledgeable SWINY volunteers will be on hand to assist you with various online tasks.

Please RSVP by Thursday January 16, 2009 to Miriam Gordon at swinyevents1@yahoo.com. You can also reach me at 914-668-4457.

You can receive and discuss updates on this and other SWINY events on Twitter (www.twitter.com) using the hashtag #swiny. Or, join our Twitter group (http://twittgroups.com/group/swiny).

Looking forward to seeing you on the 29th!

Miriam Gordon, on behalf of the SWINY Board, www.swiny.org