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June, 2007
 Genes
are Gems: Reporting Agri-Biotechnology
A sourcebook for journalists
Rex L Navarro, S
Gopikrishna Warrier and Crispin C Maslog
International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
International Service for the
Acquisition of Agri-Biotech
Applications (ISAAA)
Preface
As agri-biotechnology is a new
subfield of science, so agri-biotechnology reporting is a new
subfield of science journalism. The main principles for science
journalism and agri-biotechnology reporting are the same,
although the journalist covering agri-biotechnology will need to
learn additional specialized skills.
Genes are Gems: Reporting
Agri-Biotechnology, is intended primarily as a reference book
for that new breed of science journalists, the agribiotechnology
reporters. It is probably the first sourcebook of its kind. In
our literature search for this book, we have not come across a
similar volume.
This sourcebook gives the general
science journalist the tips and tricks of the trade, so to
speak, for writing a good science story. Within the larger
canvas of science journalism, there is a focus on
agri-biotechnology reporting. Much of the reporting on this
sunrise technology today has been on the debates surrounding
transgenic crops. With this sourcebook, we hope to influence
communicators, and journalists particularly, to widen the
reporting to include non-GM agribiotechnologies, without
ignoring the transgenic technologies.
The sourcebook gives background
information on agri-biotechnology, perspectives on genetically
modified crops, general communication principles, science
communication and science journalism guidelines, tips on special
skills needed for agri-biotechnology reporting and editing, a
glossary of technical terms in biotechnology, and sources of
additional information.
The sourcebook is meant to cater
to the needs not just of science journalists, but also of other
science communicators, such as information officers in science
institutions and government extension agents. The
idea is to provide science communicators with a handy reference
book to start from and to return to during the course of their
work. We trust this book will be of inestimable value to
agri-biotechnology institutions and even to bright-eyed science
communication students who are still eyeing a career in this
field.
Rex L Navarro
Director of Communication, ICRISAT
Dowload Genes are Gems: Reporting
Agri-Biotechnology:
http://www.isaaa.org/kc/inforesources/publications/genesaregems/Genes_are_Gems_Ebook.pdf
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