The European Federation for Science Journalism (EFSJ) is excited to announce the shortlist for its 2021 European Science Journalist of the Year 2021 (ESJotY) award! The award recognises and promotes excellence and innovation in science journalism across Europe.

In alphabetical order, the finalists are:

 

Cristina da Rold (Italy) 

Data and coronavirus: help us map who is sharing them (Il Sole 24 Ore).

Italy: Discordant pandemic data, Le Scienze

How an Intensive Care Unit Works, Le Scienze

Hristio Boytchev (Germany) 

Exclusive: Doctors systematically conceal conflicts of interest, Buzzfeed 

Mobbing in Science, Buzzfeed

Polina Loseva (Russia)

CoV is in the Air, N+1

Vaccine-less, N+1

The most dangerous man in the world, N+1

 

The winner and runners-up will be announced at the EFSJ’s Annual General Meeting online on Tuesday 14 September 2021, at 6 pm CET.

The award is presented by the EFSJ and is part-funded and administered by the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), which has previously hosted the awards since 2014. It celebrates journalists whose work has promoted excellence and creativity in the sciences.

“As EFSJ we’re very proud to organise this award for the second year together with the support from our UK member, the ABSW,” said Krijn Soeteman, president of the Federation. “I’m really looking forward to the online award ceremony to finally learn who is the winner of this year’s contest. Hope to see many of you joining.”

This year’s qualifying submissions spanned 10 European countries. “The judges were impressed by the high quality of the submissions,” said Anita Makri, chair of the judging panel. “We reviewed entries across a variety of formats including video and audio productions, covering a wide range of topics with a science component.” 

The judging panel was made up of distinguished members of the profession from across the continent, with expertise in a diversity of areas in science journalism.

The first-place winner will be awarded a prize of 1000 Euro. Second and third-place winners will be awarded 300 Euro and 200 Euro, respectively.

The judging panel

Ben Deighton – SciDev.Net managing editor (UK)

Milica Momcilovic – science journalist and President of World Federation of Science Journalists (Serbia)

Maria Pazi – freelance science journalist and junior researcher (Russia)

Stan van Pelt – science journalist (Netherlands)

Eva Wolfangel – freelance science and tech journalist (Germany)

Chair: Anita Makri – freelance journalist, producer and editorial adviser (UK/Cyprus)

About EFSJ

The European Federation for Science Journalism (EFSJ) is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote independent, high-quality science journalism across Europe by organising meetings and conferences, setting-up cross-border investigative reporting grants, and running awards. The EFSJ supports and stimulates journalists to critically examine, challenge and assess scientific information in a social, cultural, political, ethical and economic context. The EFSJ helps develop and support new business models for independent science journalism and stimulate the debate about the role of science journalism and science communication.