Sharon Smith
As seen in:
Medium,
MSN UK,
Financial Times,
Nature,
The Telegraph,
Wiley Online Library,
PCMag,
Inside the FBI,
Birmingham Mail,
Asheville Citizen Times
and
Covers:
technology, medicine, health, healthcare, science, STEM, auspol, Australian politics, gaming, game development
Doesn't Cover:
Celebrity, resources, sport, travel,
Freelance journalist 🎮🔬💊💻
I will ❤ your cat pics.
@sharon_chele on Instagram
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
My first job as a journalist was reviewing video games for a volunteer-run website. I later became a freelancer and have been ever since!
Have you ever used a typewriter?
My parents had a broken typewriter that I used to play with when I was about 5. I've never used one properly.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
J. Jonah Jameson (Peter Parker's boss) always cracked me up but I always envied Tintin's exciting journeys.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Sometimes being a journalist means reporting on news and events. Other times it means reflecting on society and presenting an opinion.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
A very old Macbook Pro running Windows; Word; Hootsuite; Skype Google Docs; and a messy spiral-bound exercise book.
What's your favorite social network?
For work I like Twitter. For connecting with friends all over the world, I like Facebook.
Who do you wish followed you?
I have befriended a lot of writers and editors on Twitter. Of course EIC of Cosmos Magazine Dr Elizabeth Finkel would be a welcome colleague.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist because I'm incredibly curious.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
My school was so small, it didn't have a newspaper. I did introduce the yearbook; produced, edited it and wrote many of its articles.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I deconstructed the Trans-Pacific Partnership from a technological point of view for PC Mag. I learned a lot about the legal system.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
There are many rules about journalism, but these days you don't need to follow them. Figure out how you work best and work your butt off.
When's the best time to pitch you?
I'm a freelancer, so anytime!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The best pitch you can get as a writer is an editor who wants you to write about anything you want - and actively encourages you to do so.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
As an editor I received many pitches from writers and PR agencies that did not align with my title's content.
What's your favorite drink?
I'm a tea drinker.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
If I'm not at my computer I might be on my tablet - or most likely reading a book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I check The Conversation every day to read what 'the thinkers' have to say about how to solve social or political problems.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
Nanotechnology isn't boring (let me convince you)!
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.