Writing Awards and Recognition

Science-in-Society Award

“Food Fight: What Hath Science Wrought?”

The judges wrote: “Epitomizing the role of a newspaper science writer, MacPherson composed a balanced and unsensationalized primer for the lay public on the complicated topic of genetic engineering of food. She deftly examined the issues in a concise style, never writing down to her readers, and maintained an easy narrative flow. The series explored the potential benefits, risks, and scientific uncertainties on a global scale, while weaving in regional sources and examples from the scientific and farming communities.

The idea for “Food Fight” came when MacPherson observed the public reaction to reports that monarch butterflies might be adversely affected by genetically engineered crops. “No one, not even Michael Crichton, could have dreamed up a more interesting story,” said MacPherson. “Even on the surface, things looked interesting — could cold-hearted technology be mowing down a magnificent aspect of nature?” For the story, she mucked around farms in rural New Jersey, checked in with experts at nearby Rutgers University, and traveled to North Carolina and London, England. She expected scientists to be lined up on one side of the debate but found unsettling dissension among the ranks of researchers.”