Why Files’ Tenenbaum receives major science writing honor

David Tenenbaum, staff writer for the award-winning science Web site The Why Files has been named a recipient of the National Association of Science Writers‘ prestigious Science-in-Society Journalism Award for 2001.

The award is the first to be given by NASW for work appearing in the medium of the World Wide Web. Tenenbaum is a co-recipient in the Web category along with Harald Franzen, who writes for ScientificAmerican.com.

Tenenbaum was cited for an Oct. 5, 2000, article about methane hydrates, molecules of natural gas trapped inside crystals of frozen water, and their potential to solve our energy woes. Although little noticed and highly inaccessible, methane hydrates dwarf other fossil fuels in quantity, and judges lauded Tenenbaum for his deft navigation “among points of view ranging from Wall Street demands for profitable new energy sources to scientific concerns about global warming.”

The Science-in-Society Awards, which also include categories for newspapers, magazines, books and broadcast journalism, are given annually by NASW to honor outstanding investigative and interpretive reporting about the sciences and their impact on society.

Tenenbaum, 52, has been the primary writer for The Why Files since its inception in 1996.

The mission of The Why Files, which is supported by the Graduate School, is to explore issues of science, health, technology and environment that lurk behind the headlines. It has received numerous awards and much critical acclaim for its unique approach to covering and popularizing science for lay audiences. The site is noted for its lighthearted approach to many scientific issues, designed to make science less intimidating and more engaging.

In addition to his work for The Why Files, Tenenbaum is a freelance writer, contributing to such venues as Astronomy magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Technology Review and ABCNews.com. He is a graduate of Beloit College and has a master’s degree in journalism from UW–Madison.

Tenenbaum will receive his award at a banquet at Boston University in February in conjunction with meetings of NASW and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He will share a $1,000 prize and receive a certificate.