The World Federation of Science Journalists is pleased to invite you to offer your ideas for our upcoming international conference, which has adopted the theme “Science Journalists Reboot”. For everyone at the WFSJ, this concept can mean many different things but, ultimately, we are talking about rebuilding, recovery, and renewal after a global pandemic that has had an unprecedented impact on our work and our lives. 

Surprisingly, that impact was not entirely negative, as we discovered the remarkable capabilities of communications tools that were pushed to new limits to keep isolated individuals and organizations in touch with one another. As we revised the planning for this conference, we realized the valuable contribution such innovations could make to this event. We have therefore created a virtual event to accompany our traditional conference format, a strategy we hope will significantly increase the accessibility of the proceedings to our global membership. The expense and logistics of travel need not stop you from taking part in this major gathering of our community, which will introduce us to the challenges and opportunities presented in the post-pandemic landscape of science journalism.

This enhanced format also provides new options for anyone interested in contributing to the content of this gathering, which can now accommodate speakers and events in a virtual capacity as well as on the ground in Colombia. This is a new frontier for all of us, so feel free to indulge your creative spirit as you contemplate a proposal for WCSJ2022.

You can submit to either the [virtual] conference or the face-to-face conference in Medellín, Colombia — or even craft something that can be combined for both. In addition to the usual topical sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and networking/pitching sessions, we are asking for your suggestions on other types of activity we should include. We will also be calling on partner organizations to propose field trips, both virtual and in-person, and mounting the first-ever WCSJ Online Film Festival.

Once the programming committee has reviewed and selected the specific sessions that will move forward, we want to run, you will be asked to participate in assembling whatever you had proposed. That should be the fun part. For now, please get to work on your proposal and submit it here by Friday 17 September 2021.

Tim Lougheed Executive Director, WFSJ Medellin Director, WCSJ 2022

Dr Sunny Bains Secretary, WFSJ Virtual Director, WCSJ 2022