Telum Talks To… Ben Clark and Tessa Ogle, Editorial and Communications Assistants at The Conversation / The Conversation's Morning Story Brief Newsletter
Interview

Telum Talks To… Ben Clark and Tessa Ogle, Editorial and Communications Assistants at The Conversation / The Conversation's Morning Story Brief Newsletter

Can you tell us about The Conversation's Morning Story Brief Newsletter and who runs it?
Most editors and journalists are probably aware The Conversation publishes news and analysis from leading experts from Australian universities. But you might not know we publish under Creative Commons, which means all our articles are free to republish.

We put together The Conversation's Morning Story Brief email, which is a great way for journalists and editors to stay across The Conversation’s latest articles available for republication, and the academic authors available for TV and radio interviews. 
 
How did the idea for this newsletter originate? What was the inspiration to start producing such a specialised product?
A core part of The Conversation’s mission is partnering with other media organisations to republish our articles and ensure they have as great a reach as possible. Essentially, The Conversation's site is an archive of free-to-republish content. We decided to produce a specialised afternoon newsletter for our friends and colleagues in the media industry to provide a heads up of our morning articles, 14 hours before they’re due to be published.
 
A few years ago, at the inception of the newsletter, we also noticed there was a pattern of journalists and producers returning to the same experts for opinion. We hope to diversify the number of experts in Australian media and promote the new, up-and-coming voices in academia. 
 
The email is sent each afternoon at 4pm and has all the information journalists have told us they need - the titles of our upcoming stories, brief descriptions, word length, the academic authors and their contact details. It’s designed to help you and other media outlets plan your copy and broadcast schedules and best use The Conversation’s latest analysis from Australia's leading experts. 

What have you noticed are the main challenges for journalists when working with academics on a story?
A key challenge can be how journalistic and academic language differs. In journalism, you’re speaking to the public. In academia, you’re speaking to your professional peers. 
 
At The Conversation, we bring these two worlds together by pairing a journalist with an academic to write their story. We want all articles to be clear to a general audience, but also based on evidence and the latest research. 
 
In your experience, what do academics wish journalists knew about their world and vice versa?
Academics often wish journalists understood the importance of "non-newsy" developments in their field, which may become very newsworthy just over the horizon. Journalists often wish academics understood the importance of simplifying language and removing specialist jargon, so that a lay audience can fully grasp the expert’s findings. Thankfully, The Conversation specialises in working with academics to produce rigorous but accessible journalism.
 
Where do you see the Morning Story Brief newsletter filling a gap in the media market?
The Morning Story Brief is a must-have newsletter for all Australian journalists, with editors regularly checking it for stories to republish and producers checking for potential expert interviewees. It’s the go-to source for new, expert voices with compelling stories to tell. 
 
What kinds of stories are your readers and subscribers looking for at 7am?
Our readers, much like many Australian news consumers, are hungry for stories that respond to and explain the latest news events and trends, but also provide expert analysis of the issues behind the news. Our top articles in August were a piece from epidemiologists explaining the New Zealand lockdown, a chemistry professor explaining the Beirut explosion, and nursing experts on how to properly clean your mask.
 
Sign up to The Conversation’s Morning Story Brief newsletter via this link, or by emailing assistant@theconversation.edu.au

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