Pitch an article to a popular science magazine editor
BackgroundEditors want to publish new knowledge and refreshing perspectives. Do you have something new to offer to the discussions that are happening in the scientific field? |
The ExerciseFind a newly published research article. Pitch the story for publication on the Blog Network for Discover Magazine. For this exercise, you are an aspiring freelance journalist. |
|
Task 1: Find an articleFind an article that is something new that will potentially garner public attention, but is not already being covered by major news outlets. |
Task 2: Write the pitchA pitch provides the flavor of the story, and a brief description of why the publisher should be interested. Identify reasons that the article is novel, timely, relevant, and appropriate to the audience of the venue. If appropriate, create a list of sources for interviews, and write a list of questions for your interviewees. Include reasons why you are qualified to write the article. Guiding principles:
|
Task 3: Brainstorm titlesA title can make or break whether the story gets read by the audience or picked up by other news sources. Keep the type of media where your article will be featured in mind as well as the audience. Write out 10 possible titles for your article. Remember, these titles could have different uses, such as one for Twitter and another destined for the website. |
Task 4: Write the first two paragraphs of the article |
The Deliverable
InstructionsThe pitch should be brief and clear: 150 words or 3-4 sentences. A pitch is not a full article. The deliverable should allow the editor to clearly answer these questions.
|
|
Sample Deliverable 1Click to enlarge |
Sample Deliverable 2Click to enlarge |
Resources:
|
Skills:Skills used to perform this task:
Skills needed in Science Journalism field:
|
Additional responsibilitiesA professional in the field of freelance science journalism may also perform these activities:
Read more about careers in Science Communication in this resource generated by Duke University Career Center. |
You are viewing a job simulation. To get started, set up SMART Goals to perform this simulation in a reasonable timeline. If you have completed the task, fill out the Self-Reflection Sheet.
Simulation author: Liz Silva, PhD
Simulation vetted by professionals in the Bay Area.