Dr. Anna Funk

What I Had on my (Successful) AAAS Mass Media Fellowship Application

10/29/2020

 
Hi hello how are you! Here’s a question I get asked ALL the time: What experiences did you have during grad school that helped your AAAS Mass Media Fellowship application? See also: Would you mind sharing your application materials? And don’t forget: What kinds of things do I need to be doing as a grad student so I can snag a coveted MMF spot?

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​What’s the “Front of Book?”

10/24/2020

 
As a relative newbie to journalism, I’m still wrapping my head around some of the lingo. I had to learn my features from my columns, that “books” are magazines (except when they’re books), and that the opener of a story is a “lede” and not a “lead” (though sometimes it can be a lead. Still not super clear on that one.)

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One such goodie is the front of book section (or front-of-book, or my fave, FOB) that appears in each magazine. What is it? Why is it?

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How to Turn an Interesting Idea into a Story Worth Writing

10/3/2020

 
There are tons and tons of cool things in the world. Cool people doing cool work. Weird discoveries. New technologies. Funny-looking animals. Whatever your beat, there are always going to be more ideas than there are stories. What’s the difference between a great idea and a great story? Great question. ​

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The Perfect Pitch

9/19/2020

 
​I’m an editor at a science magazine, and I read a lot of pitches. I get pitches that are long, and pitches that are short. I get pitches that don’t have nearly enough info, and pitches that have way too much info. I get pitches from veteran science writers, pitches from newbie (or wannabe) science writers, and pitches from total randos. What’s the right amount of information? To figure it out, I sat down and wrote a pitch, to me, from me, based on one of my favorite stories I’ve written. Here’s what I came up with.

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​How to Juggle Your Budding Career AND Your Unfinished Dissertation

9/7/2020

 
You’re a graduate student. You’ve decided you don’t want to stay in academic research, and instead have your eye on a career in something like science writing, policy, or outreach. You want to build your resume and/or portfolio with experiences in said new field, but that takes time away from your research that you’re desperately trying to finish so you can graduate. What to do?

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Top 10 Reasons Your Editor Turned Down Your Pitch (For Science Freelancers)

8/15/2020

 
My inbox (as editor at a popular science magazine) is full of pitches, and I say no to the vast majority. Here’s why, if anyone was wondering, ranked from the least to most common reasons:

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​How Science Gets Press Coverage (A Note for Scientists)

8/13/2020

 
Before I was a card-carrying member of “the media,” I had no idea how journalists found their stories. This was perhaps especially confusing to me as a scientist, in particular when I’d see news articles that said things like “in a study published today…” and wonder how a writer could’ve written a story that fast.

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The (Important) Difference Between SciComm and Science Journalism

8/11/2020

 
Hello, science lovers! It was embarrassingly recent that I realized that I had been conflating science communication (#SciComm) and science journalism in my mind, and that’s it’s quite helpful to know the difference. If you’re here, you must think it will be helpful, too! Welcome!

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So You Want to Be a Science Writer (For Science Grad Students)

8/1/2020

 
Well, hello there! I see you’ve come seeking answers to a question, like the many before you who have heard the tale of the absolutely miserable graduate student who somehow weaseled her way into an assistant editor position at a national science magazine within 6 months of her defense. How did she do it?
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Well, I have bad news for you: She got really, really lucky. 

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    About

    Musings on writing and science, from a scientist turned writer. No affiliation the writer's current employer.

    Posts

    • So You Want to Be a Science Writer (For Science Grad Students)
    • The (Important) Difference Between SciComm and Science Journalism
    • How Science Gets Press Coverage (A Note for Scientists)
    • Top 10 Reasons Your Editor Turned Down Your Pitch (For Science Freelancers)
    • How to Juggle your Budding Career AND your Unfinished Dissertation
    • The Perfect Pitch
    • How to Turn an Interesting Idea into a Story Worth Writing
    • ​What’s the “Front of Book?”
    • What I Had on my (Successful) AAAS Mass Media Fellowship Application

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  • writing
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  • multimedia
  • CV
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  • blog
  • research
  • contact