Journalists who attend the workshop here Sept. 8-9 will benefit from research at Wake Forest and other top institutions. The institute will help reporters to better understand scientific processes and research terminology and to translate it into accessible and interesting material for their audiences. The inaugural workshop in September will be designed especially for medical and science writers. You don't have to be a scientist to be able to speak the language that will get you good stories and help translate science into lay language. Journalists can help to bridge that gap, Friedman said.
Drug abuse is a huge problem for our society.
What we've learned in our research is that it is also an extremely complicated problem physiologically. Journalists need to have the best information they can get. Many story ideas will result from participation in the institute, Friedman predicted. Participants will be able to spend individual time with top scientists in the field from Wake Forest and other institutions. Core faculty includes internationally known researchers and authors on the science of drug action and drug abuse, and award-winning journalists.