SciencePod 2008 competition winners
The votes have been counted and the wait is finally over! Our judges had the difficult task of deciding a winner for this year's podcast competition, launched during National Science Week.
We asked you to make your voice heard by creating your very own podcast. You interviewed friends, family and teachers to find out their opinions on one of the following heath-related topics:
- Diet and cancer - does it matter what we eat?
- Should smoking be totally banned?
- Is the cervical cancer vaccine a good idea?
- Should under 18s be allowed to use sunbeds?
Thanks to everyone who took part – judging from the creative and imaginative entries, there are many budding journalists out there…
And the winners are:
1st Prize
Natalie Jones, Alex Rigby, Matty Burton and Blaithin Settle from Neston High, Cheshire
Their podcast was on the controversial and very topical issue of whether under 18s should be allowed to use sunbeds. Click HERE to listen.
What the judges said:
“This team did a fantastic podcast, setting it in a school and interviewing pupils and teachers to present a balanced argument about the pro's and con's of using a sunbed. They had researched the subject well and knew the dangers and serious health risks of using sunbeds, including a much higher risk of skin cancer.”
First prize winners Blaithin Settle, Matty Burton and Alex Rigby
2nd Prize
James Smith, Ryan McCready and Jonathan Howard from Neston High, Cheshire
This group tackled the issue of diet and cancer - does it matter what we eat? Click HERE to listen.
What the judges said:
“This group discussed how eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in fat can help reduce the risk of cancer, an important mesage for all ages. They also highlighted how the media reports scientific studies on different foods and the difficulties the public then have in understanding what we should and shouldn't be eating"
My congratulations go to everyone who entered the competition.
Scott Mills
3rd Prize
Blaithin Settle, Hannah Newall and Natalie Young from Neston High, Cheshire
This group also talked about the use of sunbeds by under 18s. Click HERE to listen.
Competition winners from left to right (standing) Jonathan Howard, James Smith, Ryan McCready, Matty Burton, Natalie Young. (Seated) teacher Ana Roslan and Alex Rigby.
What the judges said:
“We liked the case studies used in this podcast, making it seem really personal. They discussed important issues like the lack of information about the risks of sunbeds and what people can do to protect themselves from burning, thereby reducing their risk of cancer”
Judges
Our panel of judges were:
Left to right: Scott Mills, DJ and pioneer podcaster for Radio 1; Alok Jha, the Guardian's science correspondent and host of their Science Weekly podcast and Kat Arney, who presents the Cancer Research UK podcast.
What the judges looked for:
- Accuracy – the winning podcast had to be factually accurate
- A clear argument – a successful podcast must be well planned and thought-out
- Creativity – a good podcast must stand out from the crowd
IMPORTANT: The judges were looking for good content, rather than technical wizardry, but the entries had to be audible.
Prizes
First prize is a digital camcorder and the second prize is an mp3 player, kindly donated by our corporate partners, Samsung. Third prize is a webcam.
