Association of Scientific Journalists of the Information Press

The Association des journalistes scientifiques de la presse d’information (AJSPI) is a French association loi de 1901 based in Paris that brings together professional journalists specialising in scientific and technical information. Founded on 21 March 1955 in the back room of a small Parisian bistro on rue Daunou, near Avenue de l'Opéra, it was created by a group of around fifteen print journalists who wanted to promote and defend a specialisation that was then barely recognised professionally. André Labarthe served as its first president. The founding collective included figures such as Nicolas Skrotzky (AFP), Robert Clarke (France-Soir), Nicolas Vichney (Le Monde), Louis Dalmas (Science et Vie), François Mennelet (Le Figaro), Jean-Claude Soum (La Croix) and Pierre Bourget. AJSPI members are staff and freelance journalists working in general-interest news media across print, radio, television, audiovisual and multimedia/Internet outlets. The association organises meetings and debates among its members as well as conferences and encounters with researchers. It also runs a Club, founded in 1967 under the presidency of Robert Clarke, which federates external-relations officers from research organisations and industrial companies concerned with scientific, technical and medical information; by 2026 the Club brought together 50 organisations. The association has been active in science-culture institutions, holding representatives in the orientation committee that laid the foundations of the Cité des sciences de la Villette and signing a convention for the creation of the Science Actualités room, successively directed by AJSPI journalists Jean Penichon and Alain Labouze. It also contributed to the training of science journalists, including the creation in 1984–1985 of the Licence/Maîtrise in Information and Scientific and Technical Communication (ICST) at Paris VII, now a Master in Journalism, Culture and Scientific Communication. In 1957 the association created the "Découverte" prize to reward teams of young researchers. In 1966 it took part in the Colloque de Caen, a meeting of scientists that marked the launch of public scientific research and led to the recruitment of more than a thousand researchers. During the 1970s and 1980s it participated in bodies created to develop scientific and technical culture within the research community. Some researchers and doctors joined AJSPI, including Albert Ducrocq, Martine Barrère, Dr Claudine Escoffier-Lambiotte and Nicolas Skrotzky. At the 1969 Colloque de Nice, Nobel laureate Jacques Monod told the assembled journalists that it was for scientists to inform but for journalists to transfer that information to the public. Today AJSPI counts nearly 300 members and remains a meeting point for French science journalism. It facilitates access to the international press card of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ), organises training sessions such as identifying false health information, and hosts regular apéro-débats and club events with research institutes. Charles Behr has served as president since 2026.

Scientific journalism was not well recognised professionally in the aftermath of the Second World War. As Robert Clarke, a former journalist at Le Parisien libéré, France-Soir and Le Matin de Paris, co-founder and twice president of AJSPI (1967 and 1982), recounted, scientific and medical authorities looked unfavourably on journalists meddling in matters that were not their concern. Science and medicine were considered too important to be left to non-specialists. Pre-war reflexes still prevailed, according to which only scientists were capable of writing about science, often in the form of serialised features or bottom-of-the-page articles signed by academics, as was also done for literature, medicine or economics. It was in this context that around fifteen print journalists decided to create an association to promote and defend the existence of this previously unknown specialisation, scientific and medical information. The meeting took place in the back room of a small Parisian bistro on rue Daunou, near Avenue de l'Opéra, on 21 March 1955, and thus AJSPI was created. Those taking part in the founding act included Nicolas Skrotzky (1918–1998, AFP), Robert Clarke (France-Soir), Nicolas Vichney (1925–1975, Le Monde), Louis Dalmas (1920–2014, Science et Vie), François Mennelet (Le Figaro), Jean-Claude Soum (1929–2017, La Croix) and Pierre Bourget (1925–2015), a journalist on the medical desk of the daily L'Aurore. André Labarthe was the first president. In 1957 the association created the "Découverte" prize to reward teams of young researchers. In 1966 AJSPI took part in the Colloque de Caen, a meeting of scientists that marked the launch of public scientific research, resulting in the recruitment of more than a thousand researchers. During the 1970s and 1980s the association participated in bodies created to develop scientific and technical culture within the research community. Some researchers and doctors in turn chose to take up the pen and became members of AJSPI, such as Albert Ducrocq (1921–2001), a pioneer of French cybernetics, columnist at Air & Cosmos and author of more than 40 books; Martine Barrère (1941–1995), a physicist and former CEA staffer who joined the monthly La Recherche in March 1971 and stayed two decades, president of AJSPI in 1980; Dr Claudine Escoffier-Lambiotte (1923–1996), medical columnist at Le Monde between 1956 and 1988; and Nicolas Skrotzky (1918–1998), who moved from AFP to France-Soir, authored numerous books, produced the television programme Visa pour l'avenir from 1962 to 1967 and was president of AJSPI in 1970. Twelve years after its birth, AJSPI created a "Club" to federate private companies and public bodies around it. At the Colloque de Nice in 1969, three days of lively debate allowed journalists to draw closer to researchers and win them over to their wishes. Jacques Monod, winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, said on that occasion: "It belongs to the scientist to inform, but it is for journalists to transfer this information to the public," adding that "it is their responsibility, it is important, and we must respect it, for it participates in democracy by associating citizens with decision-making." The association had representatives on the orientation committee tasked with laying the foundations of the Cité des sciences de la Villette, and signed a convention organising the creation of the Science Actualités room, which would be directed by an AJSPI journalist: first Jean Penichon, succeeded by Alain Labouze, who himself joined the Cité in 1991. The second action was the participation of AJSPI members in the training of science journalists, both in specialised schools and at university: in Montpellier and, in the capital, with the creation in 1984–1985 of the Licence/Maîtrise in Information and Scientific and Technical Communication (ICST) at Paris VII, since become a Master in Journalism, Culture and Scientific Communication. The Club of AJSPI, founded in 1967 under the presidency of Robert Clarke, brings together the external-relations officers of a significant number of research organisations and industrial companies concerned with scientific, technical and medical information. In 2026 this Club grouped 50 organisations. Today the association counts nearly 300 members and continues to organise debates, training and encounters between journalists and researchers, and facilitates access to the WFSJ international press card.

• 2026

  Charles Behr becomes president; the Club groups 50 organisations; association counts nearly 300 members.

• 1984

  Creation of the Licence/Maîtrise in Information and Scientific and Technical Communication (ICST) at Paris VII with AJSPI participation.

• 1982

  Robert Clarke serves as president for a second time.

• 1980

  Martine Barrère serves as president.

• 1970

  Nicolas Skrotzky serves as president.

• 1969

  Colloque de Nice; Jacques Monod addresses journalists on the role of science communication.

• 1967

  The AJSPI Club is founded under the presidency of Robert Clarke.

• 1966

  AJSPI participates in the Colloque de Caen, marking the launch of public scientific research.

• 1957

  Association creates the "Découverte" prize to reward teams of young researchers.

• 1955

  AJSPI founded on 21 March in a Parisian bistro on rue Daunou by around fifteen print journalists; André Labarthe becomes first president.

A professional association representing and defending science journalism in the French general-information press.

1. 1Accueil - AJSPIajspi.com
2. 2Association des journalistes scientifiques de la presse d’informationwikidata.org
3. 3Association des journalistes scientifiques de la presse d'informationfr.wikipedia.org