WASHINGTON – Tim Appenzeller of National Geographic magazine and
Jeffrey Kluger of Time magazine have won the American
Geophysical Union’s 2005 science journalism awards. Appenzeller
will receive the Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science
Journalism–Features for his article, “The Case of the Missing
Carbon,” which appeared in National Geographic’s February 2004 issue.
Kluger will receive the David Perlman Award for Excellence in
Science Journalism–News for “Secrets of the Rings,” from Time’s
July 12, 2004 issue.
Members of the Sullivan Award selection committee wrote, with
regard to Appenzeller’s article, that it was “clearly and intelligently
written, drawing the reader into the story without unnecessary
jargon. The carbon cycle is an important topic for the public to be
aware of, and this article presented a wide breadth of material in a
balanced manner, clearly differentiating between opinion and fact.
While many authors have written about the general topic of global
warming, Appenzeller’s article boldly and clearly deals with the
processes driving it. ?The Case of the Missing Carbon’ is an
excellent example of science writing that is clearly written,
extensively documented, very informative, and fun to read.”
Appenzeller’s Sullivan Award winning article may be read at
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0402/feature5/online_extra.html
The Perlman Award selection committee said Kluger’s
article,”?Secrets of the Rings,’ is a vivid and scientifically accurate
account of the initial Cassini encounter with Saturn. It
communicates the scientific discoveries and the intrigue of the
encounter and provides an excellent account of the evolution of the
scientific process, in which discovery is almost always
accompanied by new, exciting questions. The article also
introduces the public to some of the emerging issues confronting
space science today, including the debate over manned vs. robotic
missions and the collaborative scientific teaming with international
partners in a time of limited budgets and strained relations with
other nations.”
The two AGU journalism awards will be presented on May 25,
during Honors Evening at the AGU-NABS-SEG-SPD/AAS Joint
Assembly in New Orleans, Louisiana. The annual Sullivan and
Perlman Awards are named for Walter Sullivan, late science editor
of The New York Times, and David Perlman, science editor of the
San Francisco Chronicle, respectively. The awards consist of a
plaque and a $2,000 stipend.
Notes for journalists:
Contact information for winners:
Tim Appenzeller: tappenze@ngs.org or +1 202-828-6626
Jeffrey Kluger: jeffrey_kluger@timeinc.com or +1 212-522-3754
For information about the 2006 Sullivan and Perlman Award
competitions, see http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/sci_awards.html#.
