Knvul Sheikh

Sarah Zhang Explores the Fallout of a Fertility Doctor’s Secret

With the advent of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, an increasing number of people are learning that they were conceived using donor sperm. In rare cases, it turns out that their biological fathers are actually the doctors who offered fertility treatments to their parents. A situation like this involving an Indiana fertility doctor piqued The Atlantic reporter Sarah Zhang’s interest, leading her to track down his biological children. Her investigation reveals how much society’s attitude toward donor insemination has changed.

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by Knvul Sheikh · November 5, 2019 · 0 comments

What to Expect When You’re Expecting as a Freelancer

Journalists who work for themselves and are planning on having a baby are on their own when it comes to budgeting for family leave, deciding when to disclose their plans to editors, and figuring out how much time they should take. But this also puts freelance reporters in a unique position to take advantage of all their job flexibility when transitioning into parenthood.

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by Knvul Sheikh · August 27, 2019 · 1 comment

How to Ask for Feedback from Editors

Reporters regularly receive feedback in the form of line edits on story drafts. But broader input on one’s overarching writing quality can be tough to glean from editors. Getting this kind of big-picture assessment from editors can help journalists identify problematic patterns in their writing, understand how to craft their stories to better match a publication’s style, and set more ambitious goals for their next pieces. Here’s how to ask for broad feedback on your writing.

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by Knvul Sheikh · July 9, 2019 · 2 comments

Nice Niche: How to Build and Keep Up with a Beat

Many science writers today have a beat—a defined area of research that they cover, such as astronomy, energy, the environment, or health. The best beat reporters become the go-to writers in these fields, get scoops, and provide deep dives into new developments. Here’s a look at the tools they use to sort through the chaos and find newsworthy stories.

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by Knvul Sheikh · June 4, 2019 · 1 comment

Journalists as Characters: Using First-Person Narration to Drive Stories

Science journalists often default to framing stories around the scientists whose work forms the backbone of our reporting. But first-person anecdotes allow journalists to connect with readers by lending authority and emotional authenticity to stories, building narrative tension, or lightening the tone of a piece. First-person can also be used to check personal biases and reveal conflicts of interest, avoid awkward phrasing, or breathe life into arcane concepts.

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by Knvul Sheikh · April 30, 2019 · 0 comments

How to Vet Industry PR Claims

Journalists are constantly inundated with pitches from people in media relations. But how do you draw the line between industry hype and accuracy? What steps do you need to take to weigh proprietary claims? Four science writers share their thoughts on evaluating industry information when peer-reviewed, published data are unavailable.

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by Knvul Sheikh · March 26, 2019 · 3 comments