My name is Ben and I want to write about
science, but I didn't always know it. I didn't even know for sure when I flew
to Sudbury to be in the 2012-2013 SciComm class. Luckily, having to hunt for
internships has a marvellous concentrating effect on the mind, and I realised
my true calling with many hours to spare.
So, with a few scrappy articles from local
newspapers, a barren CV, and a smile, I applied to get some experience in the
writing business. Alternatives Journal was extraordinarily compassionate to my
cause and I put my life on a bus to Kitchener.
There, I researched, fact-checked and, upon
completion of the latter activity, entered the witness protection program.
Fact-checking, you see, involves inspecting every clause, figure and
contextualization for accuracy. The goal is to protect the author and magazine
from saying something regrettable, but I took frequent excursions across the
line of pedantic nit-picking.
I also got to write. Eric, the editor, put
enormous trust in me and gave me assignments that fit me perfectly. These were
challenging—I had no experience
writing narratives; structuring long
pieces to flow and keep interest; cold calling people for comments; conducting,
recording and transcribing interviews or really much of anything that has to do
with science journalism.
Throughout, Eric mentored and advised, and
I learned many skills I'll need. I learned one more thing when I handed in the
articles: how important a good editor is. He helped turn my clunky and bloated
piece into a focussed story.
The statistics for a certain type of
internships are pretty depressing. They can be of no benefit for finding a job.
I didn't jump straight into full time work either, but I did become qualified
for the jobs I want, and I made contributions that I'm very proud of.
Ben Williamson, Science Communication Graduate 2013
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