The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization that publishes articles written by academic experts for the general public. It is a platform for academics, researchers, doctoral and postdoctoral students to share expertise and communicate research findings both inside and outside academia. Faculty write articles in collaboration with a team of editors to provide informed perspectives rooted in their scholarship.
From gladiators to wildfires to bioethics, Wake Forest faculty have written dozens of articles with nearly 3 million reads about timely and interesting topics in The Conversation that have increased public awareness of faculty expertise, contributed knowledge to the public good, and enhanced the University’s reputation for academic excellence. In addition to publishing on The Conversation, articles are provided as a free public service to publishers like the Associated Press, the Washington Post and Yahoo! News.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I start?
Contact the news and public relations team at media@wfu.edu for help turning an idea into an article pitch.
Why write for The Conversation?
Broad reach: Articles published on The Conversation are often republished for free by major news outlets like The New York Times, Associated Press, Yahoo! News, CNN, and more, significantly amplifying your reach.
Public impact: It’s an excellent way to inform the public about important research/scholarship and its relevance to current events.
Expert editing: Their experienced journalists work with you to ensure your article is accessible, engaging, and maintains academic integrity.
Metrics: You can see how many times your article has been read and where it has been republished.
Academic benefits: You can find academic collaborators, increase citations and meet grant requirements for public outreach.
According to The Conversation’s most recent survey, more than half of authors are contacted by media for an interview, and more than one-third receive opportunities for academic collaborations following the publication of an article.
When should I consider writing for The Conversation?
Current events/news: Your research or scholarship could inform a public conversation around current events or timely news topics.
New research/scholarly work: You have a new academic paper or book accepted for publication on a topic of significance and relevance to a general audience. Note: Let the UMC news team know a month in advance of publication when possible.
Expert request: The University news team or the communicators in your school contact you with an idea for an article based on your expertise.
Who can write for The Conversation?
Wake Forest faculty members and researchers with a Ph.D. or significant expertise in the subject matter can pitch ideas to and write for The Conversation. Doctoral candidates are eligible if they are writing on their dissertation topic (as a sole author) or they can write more broadly within their field of expertise if they co-author an article with a faculty advisor. Many faculty co-author articles with colleagues at Wake Forest or other universities. Here is an article written by a WFU faculty member in collaboration with a Ph.D. student.
How long are articles?
Typically, published articles are 800-1000 words.
How does the process work?
First step: Contact media@wfu.edu if you have an idea for an article. News team members have established relationships with The Conversation and can help identify suitable topics and help develop a pitch.
Idea generation & pitching: A news team member will help you brainstorm timely and relevant topics derived from your research or expertise and craft a compelling pitch to The Conversation’s editors. Then, you’ll create an author profile and submit the pitch. Don’t write the article yet. If accepted, an editor from The Conversation will contact you to discuss the story angle, help you frame the article and decide on a timeline for publication. If you have not heard back from The Conversation and it has been more than five days since submitting your pitch, email media@wfu.edu.
Writing & editing: The tone should be conversational, and the article should make sense to the average non-expert reader. After a pitch is accepted, you’ll write and submit the article. The Conversation editors will then work with you, offering suggestions for clarity, flow and public accessibility. This is a truly collaborative process.
Publication: With your final approval, the article is published on The Conversation, featured in The Conversation’s newsletter and social media, shared on the AP wire, and highlighted in alerts to republishers like Yahoo!News, Fast Company and Scientific American. Note: Because The Conversation publishes stories through a Creative Commons license, any outlet can republish them with proper attribution, but must include the full article.
Sharing: Once published, UMC will highlight the article on its social media channels and in its communications with key constituents through newsletters and email. A guide with ideas and tips for faculty sharing and promotion is also available. [ADD LINK when this guide is completed]
What are The Conversation story formats?
In addition to their standard 800-1000 word stories, The Conversation also publishes articles in other formats that offer additional opportunities for faculty to share interesting research and scholarly work.
Research Briefs are short takes that focus on new research. They run under 600 words and follow a simple, structured format that emphasizes what the scholars found, how they found it and why it matters. The first sentence always expresses the key finding(s) in a way that’s free of jargon. Research in the hard sciences must be peer-reviewed. Social sciences have more flexibility and can be based on working papers.
Significant Figures stories are driven by a single interesting statistic or numeric figure that’s currently newsworthy. The significant figure is the driving force of the story.
Significant Terms define something in the news or relevant to life in the U.S. in a brief, simple and engaging way. The top section defines the term, and the next section explains why it matters.
Curious Kids Features answer questions submitted by real kids from around the world in a simple and engaging way. Here is an example of a Curious Kids story featuring a Wake Forest faculty member: Why is water different colors in different places?
Scientists at Work articles are first-person narratives about how research is done. They focus on the process and experience of investigating a scientific question. One goal is to share with readers the excitement, joy and passion the author feels around his or her work. Good candidates for this series take readers behind the scenes to an amazing fieldwork location or an inaccessible lab. Cool photos to illustrate are a bonus.
Q&A This format can help editors and scholars explain complex topics in a reader-friendly way. It can also be used to highlight important information the public urgently needs — like questions about viruses, vaccinations and public health. Q&As are often a lighter lift for scholars and editors, making them perfect for news analysis to publish quickly.
Interested in Writing?
Contact Cheryl Walker (walkercv@wfu.edu) with UMC’s news and public relations team or email media@wfu.edu to explore ideas and craft an article pitch.
Share your news
Your stories inspire and inform the content created by the UMC team, and they help unify our community, define our sense of purpose and identity, and bring the Wake Forest experience to life for all of our audiences.
Questions?
The news team is here to help. Contact media@wfu.edu
