[Editors] MIT Editors' Club, Oct. '06 Minutes

[Elizabeth Thomson]

MIT EDITORS' CLUB

*Meeting Notes from October 17, 2006*

Do you need a degree in science or engineering to write about those 
topics? Are tape recorders useful to you in the writing process? What 
about quotes in a story? Yea or nay? This meeting focused primarily 
on the craft of science writing, but we also discussed other Highly 
Important Stuff Related to Our Jobs such as a web site that explains 
how to do an end-run around the prompts in voice-mail systems.

*Science Writing Tips*

At least one of the Editors at this meeting recently moved from a 
position in the humanities to one in an engineering lab, which 
elicited the following question: Do you need a degree in 
science/engineering to be a science/engineering writer? I personally 
believe the answer is a big fat NO. You must simply be a good 
reporter, willing to ask plenty of questions. Adding to that, Nancy 
Stauffer of the Lab for Energy and the Environment stressed: "don't 
let ANYTHING get by you." If you don't understand something the 
researcher just told you, ask him or her to explain. Otherwise the 
interview can quickly snowball out of control.

One writer at the meeting said that she always likes to start by 
interviewing the principal researcher, rather than a student, "to get 
the big picture." On the other hand, I often start with a student or 
other junior member of the team because they usually have more time 
and can really walk me through the topic. THEN I go to the principal 
researcher to put the work in perspective. The Moral: whatever works 
for you!

*To Tape or Not to Tape?*

I personally NEVER tape interviews....but boy oh boy am I in the 
minority in this group!

Among the reasons for using a tape recorder: "I'm not a fast writer," 
said one person, "and sometimes a researcher will say something *so* 
eloquent that I don't want to miss."

Another important reason to use a tape recorder, one that *may* even 
tempt me to use one: the growing use of podcasts. Lisa Damtoft, one 
of my News Office colleagues who is part of a team developing a 
regular News Office research podcast, told me recently that it would 
be very useful to add a short quote from the actual researcher to a 
given podcast. Sounds good to me.

Along the same line, Susan Curran and Robyn Fizz of Information 
Services and Technology noted the value of *digital* tape recorders. 
They have really come down in price (~$80), and allow you to send an 
audio file to, say, your webmaster electronically.

After further discussion, we realized that one factor behind using a 
tape recorder (or not) involves how much time you have to write a 
story. I often have to turn stories around within a few days 
(sometimes hours), and have found that it takes lots more time for me 
to write from a recording. Why? I listen and hear a GREAT quote, then 
a little while later I hear another GREAT quote....and, oh yeah, 10 
minutes later there's ANOTHER one. And I have to transcribe each one, 
even if I can ultimately only use one. For me, its simpler to take 
notes. I focus on one quote, and if I haven't gotten all of it down 
by the time the person has finished, I ask the professor to repeat it 
until I have it in hand. (I've also developed my own form of 
shorthand.)

Many of the Editors at the meeting who use tape recorders send out 
the tapes to be transcribed. But it can take a few days to get the 
transcription back.

*To Quote or Not to Quote?*

"I hate quotes," said Scott Campbell, director of communications for 
the School of Architecture and Planning. "I don't use them," he 
continued. "They waste so much ink. You can usually get the same 
information across in five words."

Dick Anthony of Spectrum (and Resource Development) noted, however, 
that in writing about science, a quote can back up a point you've 
made and add credibility--the professor is "agreeing" with you. 
Someone else noted that another reason for using a quote is if the 
person has a really special way of saying things. One example: my 
colleague Anne Trafton recently wrote a lovely story about a new 
technique to study red blood cells. Apparently these membranes are 
constantly undulating. Or, as she quoted one of the researchers, a 
red blood cell is "effectively a drum in perpetual vibration." Isn't 
that cool? I think it really helps you visualize what's happening.

I love quotes. In addition to agreeing with Dick's comment, I think 
that quotes really humanize a story. That said, I use them 
judiciously because I also agree with Scott that they can get wordy 
and are not always necessary.

*Another Resource*

Fresh off the press: "A Scientist's Guide to Talking with the Media," 
by Richard Hayes and Daniel Grossman. I haven't finished the book 
quite yet, but so far I think it's got lots of good advice coupled 
with real anecdotes from scientists.

*Voice-Mail Shortcuts*

I have no idea how this came up, but take note: Robyn Fizz shared 
with us a web site that explains how to get to a human from a 
telephone voice tree. It's at http://gethuman.com/tips.html.
-- 

*Next Meetings*

The remaining 2006 meetings of MIT Editors' Club are Thursday, November 16, and
Wednesday, December 13.  All meetings are in the News Office, 11-400, 
from 12-1. Feel free to
bring a lunch.


Elizabeth


================================
Elizabeth A. Thomson
Senior Science and Engineering Editor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
News Office, Room 11-400
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA  02139-4307
617-258-5402 (ph); 617-258-8762 (fax)
<thomson at mit.edu>

<http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www>
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