SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY............................................

Journalism

1. GLOBAL WARMING

2. RABIES

3. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus

4. SMOKING

5. DENGUE

6. African Swine Fever (ASF)

7. Acquired Immuno- Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

8. CANCER

9. Covid- 19

10. Zika

11. SCIENCE WRITING Provide the very detailed, specific, and often jargon- laden information produced by scientists into a form that non- scientists can understand and appreciate while still communicating the information correctly. PURPOSE

12. Science writers combine an understanding of the sciences and an ability to write well. This interdisciplinary position involves analyzing scientific data and translating the information into writing that can easily be understood by readers.

13. TYPES OF SCIENCE ARTICLES (according to structure) 🞇 News Story 🞇 Feature Story 🞇 News Feature Story 🞇 Editorial/commentary

14. Infographs Science Journals Videos Experiments Sources:

15. ELEMENTS OF A SCIENCE ARTICLE Definition Case Study Statistics Subject Matter Expert’s Quote

16. 1. Definition – illustrate the context number or clues to be defined 2. Statistics – facts, percentage 3. Case Study – actual experiences 4. Subject Matter Expert’s Quotes – attribution and source

17. Definition 🞇 Ang mikrobyong “leptospira” ay agad na nakapapasok sa katawan ng isang tao mula sa mga balat na may sugat na nakababad sa tubig baha, basang lupa o halamang may ihi ng daga.

18. Definition An acute nervous system virus disease of the of mammals that is caused b y a rhabdovirus ( species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus) usually transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal that is characterized b y increase salivation, abnormal behavior and eventual paralysis and death when untreated.

19. Statistics Ayon sa Department of Health umabot na sa 25% o 338 katao ang nasawi sa Tuberculosis mula sa 1,350 naitalang kaso noong buwan ng Hunyo taong kasalukuyan.

20. Statistics During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2— 19 years are obese.

21. Case Study Si Laurindo Garcia, isang trabahador sa Makati City ay naging biktima ng Leptospirosis. Nakadama si Garcia ng lagnat, panginginig ng kalamnan, paninilaw ng balat, pamumula ng mata at matinding sakit ng ulo. Agarang itinakbo sa The Medical City at nakumpirma ni Dr. Dante Pajo, isang epidemologist na ito ay isang kaso ng leptospirosis.

22. Case Study A 78- year- old Caucasian man presented to Presbyterian Intercommunity hospital with a history of weakness in the left arm and shoulder, with discomfort and difficulty dressing himself, for the past one and a half months. Initially he had attributed his issues to a prior rotator cuff injury. He then noted progressive shrinking in the muscles of his left arm and hand with decreased grip strength (overall he felt that he lost about 80% strength in his left arm) and developed uncomfortable 'charley horses' (painful spasms or cramps) in his left leg. There were no sensory, swallowing, or visual issues, and he denied having experienced any head or neck trauma. Results of a neurological examination showed he is suffering from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.

23. Subject Matter Expert’s Quotes Ayon kay Dr. Enrique Ona, kalihim ng Kagawaran ng Kalusugan, maging alerto ang bawat mamamayan sa sakit na Leptospirosis. “ Iwasang lumusob sa mga kontaminadong tubig o maruming baha, gumamit ng bota kung lulusong sa baha, panatilihing malinis ang loob at labas ng bahay upang hindi pagbahayan ng daga.” Dagdag pa ni Dr. Ona.

24. Dr. William Ruddiman, a climate scientist at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and the author of the controversial new book, Ploughs, Plagues, and Petroleum , argues that humans have actually been changing the climate for some 8,000 years— as a result of the earlier discovery of agriculture. The “Ruddiman Hypothesis” has been controversial ever since it was featured as a cover story in Scientific American . It states that the impact of farming on greenhouse- gas levels, thousands of years before the industrial revolution, kept our planet notably warmer than if natural climate cycles had prevailed — quite possibly forestalling a new ice age.

25. WRITING A SCIENCE NEWS ARTICLE

26. Assess data provided in the fact sheet; can be done by categorizing the data using 5Ws/ASSaKaPaBa- -- will help in easily identifying core topic

27. Appreciate the fact sheet. Identify the news (angle).

28. Avoid editorializing/injection of so many opinions; use interviews/quotes from experts/fact sheet

29. Analysis is often needed to translate percentages into more acceptable/palatable form Use percentages sparingly; instead, use 1 out of 10 for 10%, 1 out of 2 for 50% etc

30. Use descriptions, definitions for literal meanings

31. Use quotations in the lead only if highly quotable

32. Write subheads.

33. WRITING A SCIENCE FEATURE ARTICLE

34. STRUCTURE Headline/Title (3 to 5 words) Lead/Introduction (Narrative, Descriptive, Anecdotal, etc.) News peg/Nutshell Direct Quote Sub- articles or the other supporting details

35. • The disease, called Cadang- cadang, has caused the deaths of millions of coconut trees since it was first reported in 1931. Cadang- cadang literally means yellowing or the slow death of a plant…  Scientists strongly suspect that Cadang- cadang is caused by a rare substance called a viroid. Only five viroids are known to science… Virus is a Latin name which literally means poison or slime. Scientists say that a virus contains short strands of either RNA (RiboNucleic Acid) or DNA (Deoxy- Ribo- Nucleic Acid). The DNA contains the blueprint of heredity while the RNA is the messenger of heredity. A virus is covered with a protein coating • When using unfamiliar scientific terms, define as briefly as possible a. Give its literal meaning

36. b. Make it descriptive; give it a touch of color The packet is pristine white, almost antiseptic and the advertising stresses the cleanness of the brand. Under the cellophane, high gloss paper and silver foil are 20 cigarettes which the somewhat evangelical wrapping says are of ‘low- tar content.’ They are double- filtered and they are said to be ultra light, as opposed to their several dozen competitors which are variously touted to be simply ‘light,’ ‘super light,’ ‘cool,’ or ‘refreshing.’

37. Emphasize the magnitude of the problem The Central plains (in Thailand) where rice harvest is plentiful is also home to millions of rodents, causing an average loss of 25 percent of pre- harvest crop. Some estimates even peg the total crop loss to as much as 70 percent. The World Health Organization estimates that one rat can eat about 27 pounds of warehouse food and deposit about 25,000 droppings to spoil more. More than 4 billion rats (about 1 billion in Asia) now inhabit the world and they destroy more than 33 million tons of stored grains each year. In Asia, they destroy about one- third of the food produced yearly.

38. Sometimes, a little bit of history helps • One of the earliest and most dramatic demonstrations of the efficacy of oral rehydration was acted out in the subcontinent under the most difficult field conditions. • During the 1971 civil upheaval in Bangladesh, refugees in Indian camps were firat given intravenous fluids against shock and then the oral fluids. Deaths from diarrheal diseases were brought down from 30 percent to 1 percent.

39. Give the other side of the situation. Widen the outlook to include other aspects of the problem or situation. • A serious protein- calorie malnutrition (PCM) affects an estimated half of all Filipino children under four –one of the highest rates in the world. A malnutrition survey by the Department of Health also reveals that 85 percent of schoolchildren were suffering from PCM. “Very closely linked to this is the available food supply,” a Philippine country health profile says. • Since 1960, farms devoted to food crops have sunk while commercial croplands expanded to 35 percent of all cultivated land. About 55 percent of the whole farming acreage is used for export crops— sugar, coconuts, bananas, rubber, pineapple, coffee and cocoa— much of it directly controlled by foreign interest.

40. When using controversial statistics, predictions or debatable observation, always mention the source, preferable by name: • More and more researches involving humans will be done in Asia in the coming years, and there is a strong need to safeguard Macfadyen, head of WHO’s Research participating people,” says Dr. David M. and Promotion Development. Or: • The US Congress- commissioned study made by its Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee says the “nuclear power is no longer a cheap energy source…”

41. WRITING SCIENCE EDITORIAL

42. 🞇 S - tate the problem 🞇 P - osition on the problem 🞇 E - vidence to support your position 🞇 C - onclusion: Who’s going to be affected and how? 🞇 S - olutions to the problem; give at least 2

43. State the subject and your position on the subject in the introduction. Discuss opposing points of view. Prove your position with supporting details. Draw a conclusion.

44. Tips for writers

45. ADVANCE TECHNIQUES/TIPS IN SCIENCE WRITING Establishing writer- reader connection Careful Analysis of 5 Ws and H News Angling Using “layman’s term” to soften jargons Spicing it up through real- life examples Break it down with subheads Highlight its importance (eg. problem, invention, discovery, technology, clarification)

46. Simple style 🞇 Avoid high fallutin’ words 🞇 Learn to develop a simple, clear, direct and vigorous style of writing 🞇 Choose your words that will accurately describe or explain a point or issue

47. Sound reasoning 🞇 Support arguments with the right facts 🞇 Logical thinking shows the writer’s competence 🞇 Cluttered ideas and unsubstantiated arguments shoo readers away

48. Brief, exact & concise 🞇 150 to 200 words 🞇 Complex sentences and long paragraphs are wearisome and dull the senses 🞇 See to it that every word used counts and serves its purpose

49. Be specific 🞇 Use concrete facts and figures not general ideas, terms or statements 🞇 Hazy and broad generalizations do not impress

50. Resources/Sample Articles