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erinbiba.bsky.social • 3 days ago

Good god

BREAKING: The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University has reneged on their commitment to host the @sciencewriters.org annual conference and withdrew their entire financial support.

The National Association of Science Writers is now looking for a new venue, sponsors, and partners.

Comments

thesix.bsky.social•3 days ago

I can't even see a token reason being offered, so I'm left to assume this is just complying in advance with the administration?

deathcab4kyubey.kawaii.social•3 days ago

I guess it's true.

Pitt can eat shit.

lindavt.bsky.social•3 days ago

This really should worry EVERYONE.

mesosuchus.bsky.social•3 days ago

As an alumnus I never run out of reasons to hate Pitt

drjoe2003.bsky.social•2 days ago

As a bedside healthcare worker, thank God for good, ethical science and health journalists. Keep doing the good work.

miscelena.bsky.social•3 days ago

This is from earlier this week; I can't help but wonder if "threat of" reduced funding was enough for them to shut things down? That sucks, as if the funding hasn't *actually* been cut, this is just another chance to comply in advance. https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pitt-researchers-and-nih-funding-uncertainty/

dontputmarbles.bsky.social•2 days ago

"Maybe if we bow deeply enough he'll leave us alone"

miscelena.bsky.social•2 days ago

Eh, that ain't it. Don't give them credit they haven't earned. It's just as likely the leadership saying "hallelujah, we can finally stop wasting money on a bunch of stuff we never really wanted to do anyway, and pay ourselves more."

erinbiba.bsky.social•3 days ago

If you don’t know about the science writers conference, it is an absolutely essential meeting that takes place every year where science journalists and science communicators get together and talk about how best to do their jobs ethically and fight disinformation and anti-science rhetoric.

leahshaffer.bsky.social•3 days ago

We don't really have an official reason for why they dropped it, universities are freaking out in general and sponsorship is an easier place to cut than eliminate jobs, I suppose. Get in touch with Meaghan Parker at @sciencewriting.bsky.social if anybody's got a hot tip for a new venue.

erinbiba.bsky.social•3 days ago

Science journalism is under extreme threat from media outlets, as we are some of the first to be laid off, science desks are the first to be shuttered, and science-focused journalism is increasingly hard to get published.

That a *research university* would participate in that is chilling.

erinbiba.bsky.social•3 days ago

I’m biased because it’s my community, but maybe because I know the community so well and I know the individual people doing the work, science-specific journalists are some of the most ethical and highly skilled reporters in the industry.

No wonder everyone is trying to get rid of us.

fishsqueezer.bsky.social•3 days ago

Do these morally bankrupt institutions think that once the administration changes and science is "good" again, that everyone will just forget that they dumped scientists like a bad date? What a spineless, unprincipled load of bullshit.

erinbiba.bsky.social•3 days ago

Just to be clear, these folks aren’t scientists. They’re reporters and writers that cover science beats.

fishsqueezer.bsky.social•3 days ago

*dumped science - sharing it is what completes it.

erinblakemore.bsky.social•3 days ago

I wonder if they'll come for the health reporters next. I have never met a more principled and terrifyingly talented group of journalists...aside from the science writers, lol

erinbiba.bsky.social•3 days ago

I always think of the health reporters under the umbrella of science journalism

erinblakemore.bsky.social•3 days ago

Me, too, but I think there's a whole branch of the discipline that wouldn't necessarily consider themselves science reporters who do a lot of policy reporting. I see it as all the same, but the subspecialties are...terrifying