World Conference of Science Journalists 2025: Early bird registration closes on 20 October 2025
Early bird registrations - with savings of up to 53% - are closing on 20 October 2025 for delegates wanting to attend the 13th World Conference of Science (WCSJ 2025). The Conference takes place from 1 to 5 December 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa.
The WCSJ is a biennial gathering of the world’s science journalists — a space to sharpen their skills, exchange ideas, and explore how best to tell the stories that shape our shared future. Science journalists play a vital role in keeping the public informed about the issues that matter most, from climate change and health crises to the challenges of misinformation, shrinking funding, and reporting amid global conflict.
“WCSJ 2025 comes at a critical moment when science is in peril the world over as a result of growing protectionism from governments. It means our profession is needed now more than ever, and WCSJ 2025 will present a unique opportunity for us to learn from each other, so that we can better tell the world about science and why it matters,” says Ben Deighton, president of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) and managing editor of SciDev.Net.
It is the first time that this signature event of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) will be held on African soil.
The overarching theme of the conference is “Science journalism and social justice: journalism that builds understanding and resilience”. The conference programme showcases the many ways in which science journalists put the spotlight on such issues, and help to strengthen societies and the wellbeing of people and the planet. There will also be panels looking in depth at the state of the profession and at ways to tackle misinformation and the evolution of AI in the newsroom. A series of workshops and other panel discussions will hone the skills of journalists on topics such as opinion writing, mediating, crafting better pitches and tackling fake news.
Field trips to well-known South African research entities are also on the programme. These visits will allow journalists to craft stories for their respective beats.
For more information, email info@wcsj2025.org or visit www.wcsj2025.org.
Good to know:
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Most of the 200 speakers on the Conference Programme have been announced.
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A first round of travel grants was recently announced. More will be added in a bid to ensure that as many participants as possible are able to attend.
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Conference website: https://www.wcsj2025.org/