July 23, 2012

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Tips: 12 tips from Ann Friedman

By Khalil A. Cassimally

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Tips is a series which aims to provide young and early-career science writers with, well, tips to aid them in their budding careers. The series will attempt to link out to existing resources available online.

Today we showcase AnnFriedman’s twelvetips for young journalists to make it in the journalism world, published by the Nieman Journalism Lab. Friedman was formerly the executive editor of GOOD magazine and is now working on the crowd-funded publication, Tomorrow.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

--

As a young or early-career writer, you should read the NeimanJournalismLab. As you’re probably aware, the Internet and all things digital are forcing the journalism world to change. But coming up with new journalism models adapted for digital media has been easier said than done. Currently, we’re mostly still on the experimentation phase and the Neiman Journalism Lab is the place to keep in touch with those journalism experiments.

Roughly a month ago, “the Lab” published a short article by Ann Friedman. The article is particularly relevant to young and early-career science journalists. Friedman, a journalist and editor, gives twelve pieces of advice on how to make it in this evolving journalism world. She is brutally honest but in a refreshing way because her advices are sincere. She’s clearly been there and done those. She paints journalism as the hard profession it is and the hard world it is to break into. But do not let this deter you; chances are you’re already doing a few of them already.

Here are Friedman's first few tips:

  1. Write something short everyday

  2. Your ideas matter more than your prose

  3. Fake it ‘til you make it

  4. Write every piece three times.

Head over to “the Lab” to read all twelve tips with further explanations from Friedman here.

====================

Previously in this series:

Tips: Charles Q. Choi’s Website Is A Treasure Cove

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe