The mainstream media is the most important source of information on science and technology for the Australian public, so by supporting us to inform the media you are helping all Australians have access to the best science and expertise. Journalists need the AusSMC now more than ever.
By supporting the AusSMC you can help change the way the Australian media covers science.
We provide the evidence and experts to inform the headlines, ultimately giving the public trusted access to credible science and expertise.
The dramatic changes in the media in recent years have resulted in an industry with ever-shrinking resources. Newsrooms have less time to avoid 'fake news', seek out expertise and ensure accuracy. Journalists need the AusSMC now more than ever.
With over 1,600 journalists signed onto our core platform Scimex, alongside 5,000 scientists, we make sure the voice of science is heard in the big debates that dominate the news agenda, from droughts to bushfires, to the controversies over COVID-19, diet, energy, water and genetics.
We need your support to ensure this important work can continue.
CONTACT US for more information.
The AusSMC's Expert Reactions provide quotes and contacts from vetted experts to inform reporting as it happens.
Our Media Briefings help journalists get the story straight from the experts and get scientists' voices heard on the big stories that matter. Held online, they are accessible to journalists anywhere in the world.
These Media Briefings and Expert Reactions are used in around 25,000 news stories across the major news outlets each year. They are also shared through the global network of Science Media Centres.
The AusSMC helps translate science into stories by giving journalists advanced access to the research that matters to Australians through our digital news platform, Scimex. Scimex creates greater visibility for Australian research in the media, inspiring, motivating and cultivating a scientifically engaged community.
If experts don't feel ready to face the media just yet, we provide a number of training activities to help scientists get science media savvy. We've also created a free online training resource for scientists at ScienceMediaSavvy.org.
The AusSMC also provides short training sessions for newsrooms to help journalists avoid some of the common pitfalls when reporting on research.
Access to these training sessions is one of the benefits of supporting the AusSMC.
The AusSMC has developed a program to train and mentor Indigenous researchers, with the aim of increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in media coverage of science. Contact us for more information.
The Scientist in Residence program organises tailored placements for experts in newsrooms at major media outlets. The program has already placed more than 25 scientists in newsrooms including The Age, Herald Sun, Australian Financial Review, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier-Mail, Mamamia, SBS, NITV, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC, Adelaide Advertiser, and The West Australian.
Women are underrepresented in science and also in the media. We work on several programs to support women in STEM, providing mainstream media, social media, and video training for program participants.
- Science and Technology Australia's Superstars of STEM
- The Australian Academy of Science's Women in STEM online
- UNSW's Women in Maths and Science Champions Program
The AusSMC is a strong supporter of specialist science journalism. The Science Journalism Fellowship is a pilot program seeding talented specialist science reporters into mainstream media outlets. The program gives upcoming science journalists valuable experience and helps media outlets see the value of science to their audience by establishing a steady stream of science content.
- Contact us for more information
- Sign up to our Science Deadline weekly newsletter
- Visit our news portal Scimex for the latest science news
“As a national media organisation the biggest challenges we face are getting the facts right, working to strict deadlines and dealing with tightening budgets. The AusSMC delivers fantastic support in meeting these needs. The quality of information we deliver our audiences across television, radio and online would be the poorer if not for the AusSMC and I believe that every major media company should be lining up to offer support.”
"The AusSMC is instrumental to the delivery of trusted, accurate and fact based information when science hits the headlines. The organisation has made a significant difference to busy journalists operating in fast-paced news cycles, and most importantly to the access and quality of science that is available to the general public in Australia."
