07 December 2006

Peter Styring's Media Diary

The Senior Media Fellowship started in September 2006 and now things have really started to accelerate. In October I went down to the Wellcome Trust in London for and event called An introduction to the Media organised by the Science Media Centre at the Royal Institution. The outcome was a meeting with a BBC correspondent who is interested in collaborating on a ‘green technologies’ documentary.

I followed this up in November with a visit to the Royal Institution in preparation for press conferences and media announcements concerning some current research. The following day was an EPSRC Senior Media Fellows Workshop, at the IET London, where we were mentored by amongst other people Lord Robert Winston and Cathy Sykes. It was straight back to Sheffield to do an interview on BBC Radio Sheffield the following morning and to submit a Feature Article for The Chemical Engineer, “Engineering Gold” which has been published in the December issue.

13 November saw me in the University TV studio undergoing Media Coaching with Malcolm Love on TV and Radio techniques including talking to camera while walking and handling props.

On 22 November I made my debut on the BBC Radio Sheffield Breakfast Show doing the Paper Review including pieces on thallium poisoning, London 2012 funding, pollution through roads (mis)management, nuclear fusion and Borat! That all started at 6.30 am and finished at 8 am after which I got straight in the car to drive up the A1 to pre-record my material for BBC Radio 4 The Material World Christmas Special with Quentin Cooper at Sno!Zone, Xscape Castleford. The following morning was another early start with the 6.25 am train to London for a meeting with the Treasurer to HRH The Prince of Wales at Clarence House to discuss a proposed documentary on green and sustainable technologies. That was followed by a meeting of the Publications Medal Board at the IChemE in Portland Place.

So what are my immediate plans? On 15 December I will be giving the SETPOINT South Yorkshire Christmas Lecture, “Skience!©: The Science and Engineering of Snow and Skiing”, Sheffield Hallam University to an audience of 450. This will include children (and maybe me) on a trampoline, a chocolate fountain and a continuous flow Mulled Wine maker! If things go to plan I am also going to try to get it to snow in the lecture theatre! Apparently I will also be featured in the Radio Times Christmas Edition, with a 200 word article on The Material World Christmas Special which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 “The Material World on Ice!” on Thursday 28 December at 4.30 pm. On 05 January 2007 I will be back on the BBC Radio Sheffield Breakfast Show doing the Paper Review which is strategically timed to publicise my lecture on 08 January 2007 at Café Scientifique, Showcase Cinema, Sheffield, again called “Skience!©”.

After that I am looking to get a few documentaries commissioned and perhaps a regular slot on Radio 5 Live. Interesting times ahead and continually changing!