📰 Spotlight on Rowan Walrath, Associate Editor, Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN)

Background

-Name: Rowan Walrath

-Home Base: Boston, 100% remote

-Role: Associate editor and life science reporter at Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN). Like several of her colleagues at C&EN, Rowan straddles the business and science reporting teams, but because of her background, she is the most business-oriented reporter of those focusing on life sciences.

-Expertise: Focused on the intersection of business and life sciences, Rowan brings a nuanced understanding of the biopharma industry, with an emphasis on patient-centric drug and device development, clinical trial design, and health care access barriers. Full bio here.

Beat Overview

-Publication: C&EN is a weekly magazine published by the American Chemical Society. C&EN has the largest circulation among chemical publications, with >90K print subscribers. Note that all ACS members are automatically subscribed.

-Coverage Areas: Covers a wide range of topics within biopharma, now with a national purview. The key “ingredients” Rowan needs to pick up a story typically are “novel and differentiated science or a team of people that our audience would be interested to know.”

-Angles of Interest: Drawn to stories that blend cutting-edge science with significant business developments. She says, “I’m still covering the business of drug-making, but my angle is different: At the BBJ, I was explaining science to a business audience, but now I’m explaining business to a science audience.”

What to Watch

-What catches Rowan’s eye: Though not limited to these areas, she’s especially interested in neurodegenerative disorders and autoimmune diseases, which have been difficult to drug in the past. She also follows developments in women’s health and other historically underfunded areas like infectious diseases.

–“Nothing’s off limits:” Though topics such as rounds of funding or new CEO appointments likely won’t be standalone stories at C&EN, Rowan remains open to receiving those kinds of updates, especially if there’s a chemistry angle.

–About AI: “AI infiltrates everything.” Rowan wants to hear about what or who differentiates your AI applications – because if you don’t tell her, she’s likely to ask. She advises to be specific about how your company/client is incorporating AI into drug discovery and clinical development.

Pitching Tips

–Communication Style: Emphasizes that pitches need to be direct and relevant to C&EN’s readership. Convey why the news is interesting.

–Ideal Timing: Checking email is the first thing Rowan does when she starts her day around 8 a.m. ET. This is the ideal time to pitch her.

–Embargoed News: Receiving news under embargo helps with Rowan’s workflow, given that she has multiple projects running simultaneously and must map her stories in part to meet C&EN’s print schedule. She appreciates a heads-up on news anywhere from two days to a week in advance.

Pet Peeves

-Email vs. Phone: Prefers email over phone; always email her before calling. (Be aware that, if you try calling prior to emailing with a detailed pitch, Rowan will direct you to hang up and send her an email first.)

–Follow-up: Be mindful of PR best practices. If you offer her news under embargo, be sure to follow through with the information. The next time she hears about it shouldn’t be when it comes in over the wire.

Events and Conferences

–Recent and Upcoming: Attended JPM24 (her first time!) and is considering the BIO Convention in San Diego.

–In-Person Opportunities: Open to face-to-face interviews or lab tours in the Boston area, particularly if the location is T-accessible. For locales not near public transportation, she requires more advance planning to secure other means of transportation.

Key Quote

“I’ve really enjoyed finding this relatively niche beat at the intersection of life sciences and business… and I think it’s important, especially given the public’s increasing awareness of the biopharmaceutical industry – how drugs are made, what clinical trial timelines look like, the failure rates of clinical trials. And, it doesn’t mean that science is a bad thing.”

Lightning Round

–Video, Phone or In-Person Interviews? No preference.

-Direct or Creative Subject Lines: Direct.

-Short or Long Pitches: Short.

–Bullet Points or Paragraphs in a Pitch: Paragraphs.

-Images Attached or Shared Link: High-resolution images attached.

-One Follow-Up or Multiple: Two follow-ups, maximum.

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