Note: A tip sheet and recording of this event can be found here.
Pitching stories can be one of the most challenging parts of science journalism, whether you’re just starting out as a freelancer or you’ve been at it for a while. How do you boil down the story and convince editors you’ve got a great story idea? How much reporting do you need to do before you pitch? How do you choose where to pitch a story and then shape it for a particular outlet’s readers? How do you show editors that you are the right person for the job? And what resources are available to help you find new places to approach and craft a winning pitch?
Our accomplished panel of editors and writers will share their expertise on pitching in this informal Connector Chat hosted by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW). We’ll take a look at pitching resources available in CASW Connector, a library of resources for science journalism and communication, and ask for suggestions of additional pitching resources to add. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions, and we’ll have optional breakout groups* at the end so you can chat about pitching with other participants and the panelists. Over the course of the chat, we’ll generate a tip sheet of resources and notes, leaving participants with tangible takeaways.
*Note that the session is scheduled for 75 minutes to allow extra time for breakout discussions, though we plan to wrap up the main session before the top of the hour.
Panelists:
- Robin Lloyd, freelance writer and editor, CASW president, and creator and curator of Science media outlets to pitch
- Victoria Jaggard, deputy editor, health and science, The Washington Post
- Esther Landhuis, freelance science & health journalist
- Debbie Ponchner, editor, Knowable en español, and CASW board member