How to pitch and write for The Conversation

The Conversation is an independent not-for-profit news outlet that publishes news and expert analysis. All articles are written by academics in collaboration with professional journalists to craft stories that are understandable to the general public.

Why write for The Conversation?

“Writing for The Conversation is a way to create real world impact using your expertise to influence society and policy in a positive way,” Drew said.

Drew pointed out how writing for The Conversation has led to opportunities for academics such as contributing to policy reform or being granted new funding opportunities:

• 12% of authors are contacted by business or industry
• 7% are invited to contribute to submissions or briefing papers in Parliament
• 60% are contacted by other media to comment on stories
• 14% of authors are contacted by government or policy makers to give direct input into the development of a particular policy.

All stories are published under a Creative Commons licence which means that anything that appears on The Conversation website is free to read and republish.

“This is how our research reaches such a wide audience as we are republished by huge publications such as the Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, New York Times and National Geographic,” Drew said. “That is one of the benefits of writing for us. Your research receives maximum exposure.”

The Conversation Australia has roughly 42 million page visits per month when including its Australian site, its international editions and other republishes.

That is one of the benefits of writing for us. Your research receives maximum exposure.

Drew gave the example of Brian Oliver from UTS who wrote an article for The Conversation about the asbestos scandal in coloured sand. 

From 73,000 reads, 81% of readers for his article were from overseas, demonstrating the global reach of a single Australian media outlet.

“You can use such metrics for grant applications to demonstrate your commitment to public outreach and the broader impact of your research,” said Drew, adding that articles from UTS academics tend to perform well.

What stories does The Conversation publish?

The Conversation publishes four main types of articles:

• Timely: Rapid analysis of news/current affairs. Stories covering latest news that may benefit from expert analysis and insight.
• Timely: New research, often tied to a journal article, explaining what your research is and why it matters.
• Timeless: Answer a question, bust a myth. Evergreen stories not tied to a news event or research paper that answer timeless questions or explain phenomenon.
• Art reviews and essays. Stories that feature a book or theatre review or include long form deep dives into news events.

Tips for pitching

Drew said it is important to come to approach The Conversation  early if you are pitching your new research. If a journal has accepted your research to publish, journalists can work with you to prepare the article in advance to be published at the same time your research goes lives.

“Don't hesitate to pitch to us or reach out to us if your research isn't ready or published yet,” Drew advised, adding that time is everything in the media and making sure that something is fresh helps to generate reader interest.

Drew explained that any academic with a PhD or higher is eligible to write for The Conversation, as well as Indigenous knowledge holders.

The majority of our readers are from a non-academic background. It’s important to remember whenever you are writing for a publication that you should write with your audience in mind.

“It's important to publish Indigenous knowledge holders who are elders or traditional owners who have that deep connection to a subject matter, even though they might not necessarily be a tenured academic,” he said.

“They can bring an important Indigenous perspective to a story that affects them and their communities directly.”

“The majority of our readers are from a non-academic background. It’s important to remember whenever you are writing for a publication that you should write with your audience in mind.”

Drew said that because what may seem like a simple concept to an academic will not be easily understandable to a non-academic audience, it is important to write it in a way that everyone, no matter their prior knowledge, can understand.

The Conversation editors find authors many different ways including by scanning embargoed research by Australian authors that is soon to be published and contacting them directly or by sending out daily requests to university media teams.

“This is why it is important for you to be in touch with the UTS media team so you are known to them and they are aware of your expertise. They can then contact you directly when we do these media call outs,” Drew said.

“Being known to your media team may be the difference between writing for us or just missing out, especially if it is a breaking news story where we need someone urgently to write a story.”

This is why it is important for you to be in touch with the UTS media team so you are known to them and they are aware of your expertise. They can then contact you directly when we do these media call outs.

Drew also noted the need for disclosures in the commissioning stage to make sure there is no conflict of interest.

The pitch submission form has three sections:

• The first box is a one sentence explanation of what your story is about: Think of this as the headline. How would you explain your research to a family member with no prior knowledge?
• The second box is to unpack why the research matters: Make your pitch stand out by explaining the broader implications of your work. How might it improve climate science or cancer treatment for example?
• The third box is unpacking the story in more detail: What are the key points in your story? Use specific examples, evidence and quotes. This helps your pitch stand out.

“Great pitches are those that are timely and use specifics. Make your pitch stand out by being specific and clear, not using jargon to increase your chances of being commissioned and turning your pitch into a story with worldwide impact,” Drew said.

“Before you pitch to us, please make sure to read The Conversation. That will help give you a sense of the tone and style of the articles that we publish. You will also find out if an article on what you want to pitch to us has already been published.”

Make your pitch stand out by being specific and clear, not using jargon to increase your chances of being commissioned and turning your pitch into a story with worldwide impact.

What happens if your pitch is successful?

When your pitch is accepted:

• You agree on a word count with the editor, usually between 600 to 800 words.

You agree on what the key points are and general structure will be. You will then write and send through your draft.

• The article will then go to an editor who will edit, find images and create a headline before sending back to you for review.
• You can then go through the edits and respond to any queries or questions.
• Once you've made all necessary changes and addressed all of the queries, you will approve the draft that will then go back to an editor and go through a final review before publishing.
• Once published, the team will send the article on to other media outlets to give them the opportunity to republish.

“The Conversation is unique in the sense that you get final sign off on your article. I think a lot of researchers find this very comforting because sometimes they've had experiences where they've been misquoted or misinterpreted by the media,” Drew said.

What’s next?

• Pitch your story to The Conversation.
• Watch the full session recording of Drew’s presentation: How to pitch and write for The Conversation.