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How can we help you? The European School of Oncology is stepping up the support it offers to promote good journalism about cancer in 2014 PDF Print E-mail
  • Grants: Would you like the time/money to work on a particularly complex or time-consuming cancer-related story?
  • Awards: Have you had one or more cancer-related stories printed, broadcast or published online over the past year that you think deserves recognition?
  • Reporting opportunities: Would you like the chance to cover stories from ESMO 2014 – a conference that showcases the latest advances in treating cancer?
  • Reporting tips: Would you welcome tips on how to help your audience make sense of cancer stories?
We may be able to help.

GRANTS FOR MAJOR STORIES

This year, for the first time, ESO is running a unique scheme that will allow journalists to apply for grants of up to €2500 to complete a story on a cancer-related topic. We are looking in particular for critical coverage of systemic issues that have a significant impact on cancer patients.

The grant is open to print, broadcast and new media journalists. Preference will be given to early- to mid-career journalists who are based in Europe and are freelancers.

For further details and how to apply see http://www.cancerworld.org/Media/Cancer_World_Journalist_Grants.html

BEST CANCER REPORTER AWARD

Our Best Cancer Reporter Award, now in its ninth year, has been so successful in acknowledging and showcasing well-presented stories – in print, online and broadcast media – on a wide range of cancer-related topics, from countries across Europe, that ESO has decided to continue running the Award alongside the new grant scheme.

Nominations for the 2014 awards close on April 30th. The top award is worth €5000, with a runners up prize €2500 and a small number of Special Merit Awards.

An article written by winning journalists will be published in ESO’s Cancer World magazine. You can get more information and download the forms at www.cancerworld.org/Media/Best_Cancer_Reporter_Award.html

ESMO CONFERENCE, Madrid, 26-30 September 2014

ESO is offering 15 journalists a unique opportunity to come with us to the 2014 conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology, to hear the leaders in clinical research talk about progress in treating cancer, including successes and setbacks in moving towards ‘precision medicine’, where treatments are finely tuned to the individual patient, and the molecular characteristics of their cancer and the host tissue.

ESO will pay travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. It will also provide a briefing session before the conference to help journalists get the most out of their attendance. A roundtable discussion will be organised at the close of conference where journalists can quiz leading researchers, policy makers, politicians and patient advocates, about the implications of these latest scientific and medical developments within the context of today’s cash-strapped health services.

If you would like to hear more about this opportunity and how to apply, please contact Corinne Hall at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

MAKING SENSE OF CANCER: A JOURNALIST’S GUIDE

Covering cancer stories is a rich and rewarding area of journalism – but it is also difficult. Drawing on years of experience gained writing for Cancer World, as well as conducting media training with print and broadcast journalists from all over Europe, the ESO media team have published a Journalist’s Guide to Making Sense of Cancer, which is available at http://www.cancerworld.org/Media/Media_Guide.html

The Guide is aimed at busy journalists who want to help their audiences make sense of stories, whether the focus is on an individual experience (good or bad), a scientific/epidemiological or other report, or a "healthcare scandal". It covers how to evaluate the credibility of a story, how to explain its relevance to your audience, how to interpret and convey statistical information, how to address the implications for policy and practice, and more.

It uses many of the articles from across Europe that have won Best Cancer Reporter Awards as good examples of how to tackle different topics.

The Guide is available at http://www.cancerworld.org/Media/Media_Guide.html

Feedback and comments are welcome and should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The intention is to move on to set up a site where European journalists interested in this topic can share their own tips and experiences and post stories they have covered.