SESSION
From local to global: pitching regional stories to international outlets
Successfully landing a pitch about a regional issue in an international outlet can be challenging. Many stories may have local relevance, but also have global stakes that may interest editors.
In this session, we will discuss hurdles in pitching to international editors, such as language barriers, tailoring the pitch to pique larger interest, and the difficulty of building relationships with editors at these outlets. We’ll hear from editors on how they pick international stories, and talk with journalists about how they decide which stories to pitch.
Priyanka RunwalSession proposer and speaker | Chemical & Engineering News | United States
Priyanka Runwal is an award-winning, multilingual science journalist from India based in New York City. She’s an associate editor at Chemical & Engineering News, where she reports on communities impacted by toxic pollutants and those left behind in the wake of scientific advances. Previously, Priyanka covered the COVID-19 pandemic and other health stories as National Geographic‘s resident reporter. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Scientific American, STAT, and BBC Earth, among other publications. She’s an ecologist by training and a graduate of the UC, Santa Cruz Science Communication Program.
Myriam Vidal ValeroSession producer and moderator | Freelance | Mexico
Myriam Vidal Valero is a bilingual science and data journalist covering health, environment, and science policy across the USA and Latin America. Her work appears in Science, Nature, C&EN, amongst others. She coordinates a mentoring programme and holds an Master’s from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, CUNY.
Lynne SmitSpeaker | Nature Africa | South Africa/United Kingdom
Lynne Smit is a journalist and communicator who enjoys understanding and ‘translating’ the most complex and technical of subjects, finding the right angle for the target audience, and writing copy that people want to read. Her career track record includes 30 years’ experience working for various organisations, including newspapers in South Africa and London, and as senior writer in the WHO African Region headquarters in Brazzaville. She is currently senior editor at Nature Africa.
Martin EnserinkSpeaker | Science | Netherlands
Martin Enserink is deputy news editor at Science, based in Amsterdam. A former correspondent and editor, he’s covered global health, research ethics, and infectious diseases. He mentors journalists, has edited global freelancers, and co-authored the Covering Ebola course. His award-winning reporting spans Asia, Africa, and Latin America.