The Conversation

Pitching & Writing Masterclass

Do you have an important story to share about your research? Can you tell their story in a concise and compelling way?

A senior Conversation editor shows how it's done in this intensive 4-hour workshop, with only 5 participants. You will receive strategic advice from an experienced editor, and one-on-one professional and peer feedback on your work.

The most useful professional development workshop I have ever attended. Every single point was new(s) to me and it was invaluable to have feedback from such experienced editors. Not only has this transformed my understanding of how to pitch to The Conversation and other media, the insights benefit my writing for professional newsletters and grant applications. 6 stars out of 5.
Dr Amelia Church, Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne
Outstanding workshop. It's been one of the best (if not THE best) workshops I have ever done.
Rachel Brisbane, Victoria University

Highlights

The Conversation's Pitching and Writing Masterclass reveals the common mistakes academics make when sharing their research with non-academic audiences - including the media, industry, politicians and the public.

Fewer than 50% of people typically read beyond the first few sentences of an online article or journal abstract. In an intensive workshop, limited to only 5 participants, a senior Conversation editor shows how to keep time-poor readers interested, using short, sharp, jargon-free writing.

Masterclass participants develop a story “pitch” for a target media or industry publisher of their choice (with guidance from our senior editor), draft a headline and the first paragraphs of a story, and - as a bonus, since a well-written article very often leads to follow-up media coverage - learn a few key tricks to make the most of any radio and broadcast interview.

Time-saving expert advice

Sharing research well beyond academia is now a requirement of many research grants - and for good reason, because if research is publicly funded, it's only right that the public benefits from that knowledge.

But for busy researchers, it can be difficult to know where to start, and what to do - or when their research is interesting enough to a broader non-academic audience to try to attract public attention.

This masterclass is designed to help save time and wasted energy. We share what to consider before even ‘pitching' a story to a media outlet like The Conversation, ABC News, a major newspaper or others. We spend time showing how to adapt content and language to suit different audiences, in different outlets and media. And we help participants sharpen their storytelling skills - so people want to hear more.

This is the best PD I have engaged in over many years. Provided informative and focussed information and discussion in a friendly, professional environment.
Dr Carol Smith, Lecturer, Education / Program Coordinator, Master of Teaching (Primary), UniSC

Experienced editors you can trust

The senior editors who lead our masterclass program have decades of real-world experience, not just with The Conversation but also other national and international media outlets including the ABC, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Reuters and Nature.

Our editors work with academics every day, so we understand the pressures of trying to produce rigorous research - then somehow finding time for public engagement.

That's why we created this masterclass, which we designed by request from our higher education and research partners.

Outstanding workshop…Will highly recommend this session to colleagues. The tips from this session are invaluable for researchers. Communicating research findings with media and a wider audience is an essential part of increasing opportunities for our research to have real world impact.
Dr Marika Franklin, Associate Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University

Where do we offer masterclasses? What does it cost?

Our masterclass is delivered by a senior Conversation editor via two, 2-hour interactive Zoom sessions over two days, with online and offline writing assignments.

We limit standard sessions to 5 participants, so our senior editor has time to give individual feedback. Individual bookings are available.

The cost is $890 + GST AUD per person.

Best use of 4 hours of my time.
Gurbinder Gill, Teaching Scholar, Financial Planning, Deakin University

Masterclass Cancellation Policy

When you book your masterclass, you are holding a space that is no longer available to our other participants. If cancellation or date change is necessary, we require that you let us know a week in advance by emailing masterclass@theconversation.edu.au. Places are in high demand, and your advanced notice will allow another participant to access the masterclass. A no show or late cancellation for reasons other than illness will not be eligible for a refund or change to another date.