The executive director of The Conversation — an independent, nonprofit publisher of commentary and analysis — will conduct an upcoming campus workshop for faculty members interested in writing for nonacademic audiences.
The Conversation publishes articles for the general public written by academics and edited by journalists. The site publishes short articles — 800-1,000 words — on timely topics related to faculty members’ research.
The stories are regularly republished by large national outlets such as The Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, CNN, Scientific American and many more. Through partnerships with The Associated Press and Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., articles are picked up in local newspapers, providing analysis in communities that would not otherwise have access to such content.
By writing, academics can reach audiences in publications locally, nationally and internationally. More information about The Conversation is available online.
During the workshop, Wilson will guide attendees through how to craft a pitch and what it takes to write for The Conversation.
Wilson is a former publisher of The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Chronicle of Philanthropy. He also served as the director of higher education at NBC Learn.
The workshops are free. To attend, email Molly Blancett at blancett@uoregon.edu.
Faculty members in the Lundquist College of Business, School of Journalism and Communication and College of Education are encouraged to attend the workshop times specific to their units, which are different from the main workshop.