ESMH Summer School 2023: ‘Storytelling in science’

2023 ESMH Summer School for young media makers, 6-10 June in the European Parliament in Strasbourg: focus on science journalism and the importance of storytelling

The 2023 European Science-Media Hub (ESMH) Summer School ‘Storytelling in science’, with more than 80 participants from all over Europe, will offer young media makers a unique opportunity to gain insight in science journalism, meet prominent journalists and researchers in science communication and learn from their experience.

The summer school is also a way to network with young media makers from other European countries.

This year the participants will also have the chance to attend the European Youth Event (EYE2023), the biggest event organised by the European Parliament for young people. The ESMH will have two thematic sessions at the EYE2023 on climate stories.

Consult the Booklet of the Summer School 2023 Booklet

The registration for in-person attendance to this event has been closed, but you can follow it via live webstreaming on this page (just below).

Webstream

The event is over.

Consult previous session webstreams:
SESSION 1: The importance of science reporting, past lessons and future challenges
SESSION 2: Hands-on training on science journalism/science communication
SESSION 3: Science stories and public trust in the digital world
SESSION 4: How to avoid the misinformation trap? Understanding science denialism via behavioural science
SESSION 5: The importance of storytelling in science reporting
SESSION 6: Best practices in science journalism, experiences
SESSION 7: Tech reporting and new digital tools for science journalism (Chat GPT and more)
SESSION EYE2023: Panel: Telling climate stories
SESSION EYE2023: Master class: Climate stories – narrating the change


Programme

Day 1: Tuesday 6 June 2023

14.30 – 15.30 Arrival at the European Parliament and registration – Accreditation centre Louise Weiss (LOW) ENTRANCE

15.30 – 16.00 Welcome Coffee (North Gallery)

ROOM WEISS N1.4

16.00 – 16.15 Welcome and opening, by Mr Christian Ehler, MEP and STOA Chair

16.15 – 16.30 The ESMH summer school, by Vitalba Crivello, ESMH

16.30 – 18.00 SESSION 1: The importance of science reporting, past lessons and future challenges

How science journalism and science communication have been coping with the big changes imposed by the advent of social media? How they have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and by the climate crisis?

This session tries to build from some lessons from the current situation to look at the future, with insights from different experts in the field. It also focuses on the importance of storytelling to successfully engage with the public.

  • Mr Christian Ehler, STOA Chair and Member of the European Parliament
  • Prof. Jason Pridmore, Vice Dean of Education for the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, Rotterdam, The Netherlands – leading TRESCA and COALESCE projects (Slides Jason Pridmore)
  • Pampa Garcia Molina, Director of the Science-Media Center Spain (Slides Pampa Garcia Molina)
  • Kai Kupferschmidt, correspondent for ‘Science’ Magazine in Berlin, Germany

Moderator: Chloe Hill, Policy Manager, European Geosciences Union

18.00 – 18.30 Q&A session, debate

18.30 – 20.00 Networking cocktail (North Gallery)


Day 2: Wednesday 7 June 2023

ROOM WEISS N1.4

9.00 – 9.30 Coffee/breakfast (North Gallery)

9.30 – 11.00 SESSION 2: Hands-on training on science journalism/science communication

What a science journalist does and what is newsworthy? Practical exercises on the difference between journalistic and scientific writing.

  • Kai Kupferschmidt, contributor for ‘Science’ Magazine in Berlin, Germany

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break (North Gallery)

11.30 – 12.30 SESSION 3: Science stories and public trust in the digital world

Which are the elements that contribute to provide the audience with a qualitative information environment based on trust and avoid them to fall into the misinformation trap?

  • Prof. Eveline Crone, Professor of Neurocognitive Developmental Psychology at Leiden University, the Netherlands; ERC Vice President and ERC Scientific Council member (Slides Eveline Crone)
  • Luca Bertuzzi, Euractiv Tech correspondent, Brussels, Belgium
  • Amy Ross Arguedas, Researcher at Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Trust in News Project (Slides Amy Ross Arguedas)

Moderator: Carolien Nijenhuis, ESMH

12.30 – 14.00 Lunch break (North Gallery)

14.00 – 15.00 SESSION 4: How to avoid the misinformation trap? Understanding science denialism via behavioural science

Science denial has always existed, but the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that it is more important than ever to understand why some people deny, doubt or resist scientific explanations—and what can be done to overcome these barriers to accepting science.

  • Philipp Schmid, Behavioural Scientist at Institute for Planetary Health Behaviour (IPB); University of Erfurt, Germany (Slides Philipp Schmid)
  • Barbara Gormley, Lecturer in the Schools of Psychology and Communication at Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland (Slides Barbara Gormley)
  • Rocío Benavente, Maldita Ciencia, Spain (Slides Rocio Benavente)

Moderator: Svetla Tanova-Encke, ESMH

15.00 – 15.30 Coffee break (North Gallery)

16:00 – 17:00 Visit to the hemicycle, plenary room


Day 3: Thursday 8 June 2023

ROOM WEISS N1.4

9.00 – 9.30 Coffee/Breakfast (North Gallery)

9.30 – 11.00 SESSION 5: The importance of storytelling in science reporting

What are the differences between telling facts and telling a story? What makes a good story? How is storytelling used in science journalism? And when can it also be dangerous? Practical exercises could be proposed to the participants of the ESMH summer school.

  • Kai Kupferschmidt, contributor for ‘Science’ magazine in Berlin, Germany

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break (North Gallery)

11.30 – 12.30 SESSION 6: Best practices in science journalism, experiences

  • Flora Teoh, Science Feedback, France – fact-checking in science (Slides Flora Theo)
  • Felix Irmer, Institute of Communication and Media Studies, Leipzig University, Germany – data journalism (Slides Felix Irmer)
  • Sabrina Weiss, Freelance journalist covering science, health and environment (Slides Sabrina Weiss)

Moderator: Rosa García Verdugo, Freelance science journalist

12.30 – 14.00 Lunch break (North Gallery)

14.00 – 14.30 SESSION 7: Tech reporting and new digital tools for science journalism (Chat GPT and more)

  • Luca de Biase, Chief editor Sole24Ore, Italy

14.30 – 14.45 Closing remarks and take away messages – the ESMH team

15:00 – 17:00 ACCREDITATION AT THE EYE2023 VILLAGE


Day 4: Friday 9 June 2023

ROOM WIK100

11.15 – 12.15 EYE2023 SESSION – Panel: Telling climate stories

Climate change is one of the scientific topics which young adults are more and more engaged with. How do young people consume climate news? Which are the best formats to tell climate stories to young audiences? This panel will showcase some of the existing best practices of environmental and climate reporting for young people, bringing together some experts from traditional and digital media to look into different concrete examples.

  • Prof. Joachim Allgaier, Professor for Communication and Digital Society, Fulda University, Germany.
  • Alok Jha, Science correspondent at ‘The Economist’
  • Valentine Delattre, youtuber, France

Moderator: Chloe Hill, Policy Manager, European Geosciences Union

12.30 – 13.45 EYE2023 SESSION – Master class: Climate stories – narrating the change

Are you interested in learning how digital stories on climate change are created? Do you want to produce stories on digital platforms to help slow down climate change and contribute to saving the planet? This masterclass is for you! Two experts will share some tips and expertise with you.

MEPs Restaurant – WEISS building, ground floor

14:00 Networking coffee

Daphne Caruana Galizia Press Conference Room

15:00 Press briefing on the EYE and One year ahead of the elections

  • Jaume DUCH, European Parliament Spokesperson and Director General DG Comm

Q&A

15:25 Press briefing on the latest findings of the Eurobarometer

  • Philipp SCHULMEISTER, Director for Campaigns in DG Comm, European Parliament

Q&A

15:50 European Parliament – Press Services

  • Eva EGIDO, Media Services Unit

Q&A

16:10 Audiovisual facilities tour

  • Audiovisual Services Unit

Day 5: Saturday 10 June 2023

Press Bar

10:30 Informal coffee and session on disinformation

  • Jacob LOCK, Spokesperson Unit

EYE2023 SESSIONS
(free choice)