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When you need visual support for your science news and feature stones TIOK 0015236

0 :'IiAJOR SUPPORT PROVIDED BY The Carnegie Corporation of New York FOUNDI:VG CONTRIBL'TORS ARCO Foundation The Aaron Diamond Foundation E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company General Electric Foundation Golden Family Foundation International Minerals & Chemical Corporation Johnson & Johnson Monsanto Company The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Pfizer Inc. Phillips Petroleum Company The Scherman Foundation, Inc. Scripps Howard Foundation PATRONS Ivan L. Bennett, Jr., M.D. William D. Carey Edward E. David, Sc.D. Mark Kaplan, Esq. Alfred R. Stern Edward T. Thompson "Having a place to find film'and v ideotape on short notice is something as necessary, in television, as finding quotable people in print. Producers and editors are much more likelv to run science ne«-s stories -when supporting footage is available. :1o 'pictures,' no storv.,• -IRA FLATOW Host, "Ne,.vton's Apple" TIOK 0015237

IFit were not for your help, our feature on future health care would have had to take a dif- ferent direction, as I would not have had supporting video. Your services are indeed important to those of us in the media business who don't have time to call all over the country looking for a particular. video clip." Laura Eubanks, producer for WBIR-TV in Knox- ville, Tennessee, wrote the above in a thank-you letter to the Scientists' Institute for Public Informa- tion (SIPI), which had answered her plea for help in locating videotape footage for a series on the future of health care in this country. Specifically, she was looking for footage of medical technology, such as lasers, high magnification inside the body, artificial body parts, etc. SIPI was able to refer her to five sources around the country that had such footage available. It was not Eubanks' first call to SIPI. She-like thousands of other broadcast and print journalists - -has called SIPI's Media Resource Service over ` -the years for names of experts who could give her _background information or quotes for her science- relat d stories. Whether it's for a report dealing withnedicine, health, the environment, psychology, technology, space, or defense, reporters have come to recognize the Media Resource Service as the source of sources and keep its toll-free number, 8001223-1730, (212/661-9110 in New York state) posted by their phones. TIOK 0015238

r "The videobank idea is a great one. Lots of computer-generated movies are being made to illustrate lectures and would be a natural for this:' -DR. DAVID BALTIMOKE Director, The Whitehead Institute "The part of the operation that interests me is spraying this stuff via satellite to stations on the day or during the week that a given topic gets hot andlor in the days or weeks when it is getting ready to emerge, if it can be foreseen:' -DONALD PERRIS, President Scripps Howard Broadcasting "I like the concept of a video, data base available to the media. It's an idea that could allow television news operations to cover stories that they otherwise might not because of lack of video:" -STANLEY E. HUBBARD, II Vice President, Hubbard Broadcasting "The Videotape Referral Service is a great idea. You should point out to research universities that their obli- gation to inform the public can be fulfilled by releasing films as well as press releases to the media:' -EARL UBELL ~ - Science Editor, WCBS-TV News New York City _ ~ "The service [can] be a tremendous help. Sometimes stories-get vetoed if there is no video for them:' -JOHN MILLER WSVN-TV, Miami WHEN TALKING HEADS AREN'T ENOUGH The Media Resource Service provides TV reporters with experts who can appear on-camera, or who can give interviews by phone. But often, TV needs more than just a voice-over or a talking head-no matter how eloquent the expert is. To make science stories as exciting as they should be, TV needs quality videotape footage-something for the viewer to watch as the reporter gives the details of the story. If it's a story on a nearby chemical dumpsite, it's easy enough to get footage.. . but wouldn't film of workers in protective clothing cleaning up a similar. dumpsite add to the story? Or how about footage of the chemicals' practical applications? A report on the growing number of AIDS victims in a local community may feature an interview with_several patients ... but have viewers seen what an AIDS virus actually looks like under the microscope or watched an animation showing how the virus works? Have they seen inside a lab where up-to- the-minute research into the causes of AIDS is conducted? TIOK 0015239

,w. VIDEOTAPE FOOTAGE IS OUT THERE SIPI has now added a new component to its Media Resource Service-the Videotape Referral Service. A call to the same toll-free number will put you in touch with sources of quality videotape to enhance science news and feature stories. These sources include universities, govern- ment agencies, private industries and research centers. There are miles- and miles of videotape available-most of it at no cost-but until now, it's been extremely difficult to track down. SIPI has identified hundreds of different sources of videotape footage-and our computer listings con- tinue to grow. Among the topics covered by these videotapes are: El Cardiac surgery 0 Nuclear power plants El Eye diseases and injuries F~ Solar cells and communications technology El Superconductor research 0 Robotics El Weapons 11 Laser surgery 11 Space missions El Hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes 0 Hazardous waste clean-up techniques El Nutrition El Child-development 0 Acid rain - El Bone marrow tfatisplants 0 Nervous disorders ~. El Air pollution ~ El Reproductive problems 0 AIDS testing O Artificial heart implants NASA National Cancer Institute Department of Defense TIOK 0015240

HOW THE VIDEOTAPE REFERRAL SERVICE WORKS "There's no doubt that video has become the dominant medium for in- formation transmission, and the effort to develop public scientific literacy must make use of this medium:' -ROBERT SINSHEIMER, Chancellor University of California, Santa Cruz "This [is] a great resource for broadcast journalists seeking to convince a news director to air more science stories. It provides a means for journalists to enliven stories:' -MARC KAPLAN Public Information Officer Rockefeller University "The Videotape Referral Service is a good idea and especially useful if pro- ducers have satellite capability. You do need some quality control to ensure that the videos aren't just a P.R. tool for university research centers:' -LEW FREDERICK KGWTV, Portland, Oregon "This is a great and helpful service. It can do a lot for sparking interest in science stories. If there are more videos available, there will be more public interest in scienc"hich .vol lead to more science reporting." -BARNEY MCCOY - KCTVTV, Kansas City, Missouri ~ Sources of videotape are asked to supply SIPI with as much information as possible on each film clip, including: title, date of production, topic(s), pro- ducer, funder (if different from producer), length, format, charge for use (if any), a brief description of the contents, including whether or not the footage contains animation, schematics, etc., whether or not it promotes a particular company or product, the point of view, and whenever possible, a log showing the time sequences in the tape. Finally, producers are asked whether or not they have uplink facilities for satellite transmission. Several research centers have told us they are willing to "shoot to order" in response to appropriate requests from television journalists. Increasinglv, university and industry fesearch centers have their own production facilities and are eager to make footage available to commercial television. Television journalists who eall SIPI's Media Resource Service can simply indicate that thev're looking for videotape; they will be asked the subject, deadline, and other requirements. Staff will call back within deadline and pass on, free of charge, the information outlined above. "You've planned an excellent service. You just have to make sure that you are careful to identify the producer and funder of each film and any hidden promotion:' -ERNIE SCHULTZ, President Radio-Television News Directors Association TIOK 0015241

A REFERRAL SERVICE -NOT A.LIBRARY, NOT A= JUDGE The Videotape Referral Service serves as a go-between, providing television reporters with access to videotape sources, not with the tapes themselves. SIPI will not store or transmit videotapes, but will refer journalists to the pro- ducers of the tapes they need. Journalists will make their own arrangements to obtain the tapes. What SIPI will do is all the "legwork" necessary in tracking down the footage. Once we know the jour- nalists' requirements, we will do the research, make the phone calls, and provide sources of videotape, along with as complete a description as possible of what the journalist can expect from each tape. In most cases, we will speak with the providers of the videotapes first, so they will be expecting journal- ists' calls; final transmittal arrangements should, be easy and quick. While staff will provide descriptions of footage, in- cluding such details as length, date of production and format, SIPI will not presume to judge the tapes.. Indeed, the value of a given videotape will vary depending on what the journalist is looking for, how long a segment is needed, etc. By providing the source of each videotape -who produced and funded it-the service alerts journalists to those videotapes that may be purely promotional. This information should help journalists decide whether or not a tape is worth pursuing. I- U.S. Geological Survey University of Washington General Electric Company TIOK 0015242

VHAVIS SIPh s 'Fhe 5cientists' Institute for Public Information is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public understanding of science and technology. Recognizing that the majority of Americans rely on the mass media for most of their information, SIPI seeks to bridge the gap between scientists and the media. In addition to the Media Resource Service-a free referral service for journalists seeking respon- sible, balanced information involving science and technology-SIPI conducts a Media Outreach Program which brings scientists and journalists together to discuss current science issues. The Media Outreach Program includes a series of roundtables held since 1983 on such topics as the Strategic Defense Initiative, AIDS education, radon, teen pregnancy, drug-testing, and hazard- ous waste. Roundtables have been held at meetings of press associations and the nation's ' journalism schools. SIPI has recently extended its outreach to television, holding sessions at regional and national meetings of the Radio Television News Directors Association. SIPI's newsletter, SlPlscope, serves as a forum for discussion of current issues in science policy, as well as a review of media coverage of science and technology. SIPI is funded by foundations (60%). media sponsors (20%), and non-media corporations (20%~ - S(:1 I,:NT[S'['S' INSTfi'U'['F. FOR PUBLIC INFORMA['ION I3OARl) ()F TRUSTFFS Lewis 1'honias, M.D. Chairman David Baltimure, Ph.D. Vice-Chairman Alan McGowan President Lawrence J. Goldstein Secretary=l'reasurer Alice Arlen Ivan L. Bennett, Jr., M.D. William D. Carey Edward E. David, Sc.D. John S. Dyson Robert W. Fri Jerry W. Friedheim Charles E. Glover William T Colden Jerry Grey, Ph.D. Henry A. Crunwald William R. Hearst III Mark N. Kaplan, Esq. Mathilde Krim, Ph.D. Jonathan Lash, Esq. Cen. Edward C. Meyer Homer A. Neal, Ph.D. John R. Parten David Perlman Robert E. Pollack, Ph.D. Thomas B. Ross William D. Ruckelshaus Frederick Seitz, Ph.D. Paul C. Sheeline Edward T Thompson Grant P_ Thompson Russell Train Patricia Woolf, Ph.D. TIOK 0015243

MEDIA RESOURCE SERVICk,,_ ADVISORY COMMITTEE Honorary Chairman: Walter Cronkite ° Isaac Asimov, Ph.D. Harvey Brooks, Ph.D. Solomon J. Buchsbaum, Ph.D. William R. Burleigh Barbara J. Culliton Paul Doty, Ph.D. David C. Evered, M.D., FR.C.P. John M. Fowler, Ph.D. Allen L. Hammond, Ph.D. Jav Isehn Leon Jaroff Larry Jinks Donald Kennedy, Ph.D. William B. Ketter Frank McCulloch Dorothy Nelkin Joseph S. Nye, Ph.D. Gerard Piel Robert Sinsheimer, Ph.D. Richard Smyser George Strait James D. Watson, Ph.D. Media Resource Service Director: Fred Jerome MEDIA SPONSOR COUNCIL The Media Sponsor Council consists of the following media companies and media-related foundations that have demonstrated their confidence in the Media Resource Service with financial contributions: Anniston Star The Arizona Republic/The Phoenix Gazette Asbury Park Press Baltimore Sun Breakthrough by Boardroom Reports Boston Globe CBS Inc. Cable News Network Capital Cities/ABC Inc. Chemical and Engineering News Chicago Tribune Foundation Christian Science Monitor Cox Enterprises, Inc. The Dallas Morning News (A.H. Belo Corporation) The Josephus Daniels Charitable Foundation Detroit News Dow Jones & Co. Inc. The Economist Fort Worth Star-Telegram Freedom Newspapers, Inc. Fresno Bee Gannett Foundation Harte-Hanks Communications, Inc. The Hearst Corporation Houston Chronicle Indianapolis Star, News Knight-Ridder Newspapers Lee Enterprises, Incorporated Los Angeles Herald-Examiner McCall's The McGraw-Hill Foundation, Inc. Medical World News Milwaukee Journal Modesto Bee Morris Communications NBC/RCA Newhouse Newspapers New York Times Co. Foundation The Oak Ridger Omni Publications Cissy Patterson Trust The Press and Sunday Press (Atlantic City. NJ) Providence Journal Company The Reader 5 Digest Association, Inc. The Record (Bergen Co., NJ) Rodale Press, Inc. St. Petersburg Times San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Examiner Scholastic, Inc. Science News Scientific American Scripps Howard Foundation The State (Columbia, SC) Time Inc. Times Mirror Foundation The Washington Post (:o. W(:BH Briston In addition to the Media Sponsor Council, funding of SIPI is pro- vided by the following: American Can Company Foundation Air Products and Chemicals. Inc. Amoco Foundation Arlen Charitable Trust Atlantic Richfield Foundation AT&T Foundation Balmoral Foundation Becton, Dickinson and Companc Boehm Foundation Bristol-Myers Fund Brooklyn Union Gas Company Cabot Corporation Foundation. Inc. Carnegie Corporation of New lork Chevron Chemical Company Citicorp/Citibank The Commonwealth Fund Dyson Foundation Ethyl Corporation Exxon Corporation . The Ford Foundation Foundation for Microbiology General Electric Foundation ' General Service Foundation The Golden Family Fund William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. _ Hewlett-Packard Company Hoffrnann-La Roche Incorporated IBM Corporation International Minerals and Chemical Corporation Jerard Environmental & Humanitarian Fund Johnson & Johnson The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Vi'. Alton Jones Foundation Richard Lounsbery Foundation John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Monsanto Company Charles Stewart Mott Foundation National Life Insurance Company New York Communitv Trust Parten Foundation PepsiCo Foundation. Incorporated Pfizer, Incorporated Philip Morris Incorporated Ploughshares Fund PPG Industries Foundation Rockefeller Brothers Fund Shell Companies Incorporated, Foundation Smith Richardson Charitable Trust John Ben Snow Memorial Trust Squibb Corporation The Standard Oil Company Ruth and Frank Stanton Fund Syntex Corporation TRW Inc. Union Carbide Corporation Unocal Foundation Warner-Lambert Company Xerox Corporation TIOK 0015244

TV & SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ROBERT BAZELL, NBC News MAX GOMEZ, KYWTV, Philadelphia SUSAN SPENSER, CBS News GEORGE STRAIT, ABC News EARL UBELL, WCBS-TV, New York City TIOK 0015245