Fairriona Magee, a graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a new addition to the NASW community, shares #WhySciWri in this short Q&A.
Fairriona Magee
A: I am a graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. I recently received my Bachelor of Science in Journalism from North Carolina A&T State University (Go Aggies!) and am originally from Augusta, Georgia. I specialize in health and environmental writing with an emphasis on infrastructural inequalities.
Q: How did you get interested in science writing?
A: As an undergraduate student, I conducted a textual analysis of crack cocaine and opioid media coverage looking for parallels and differences in the way that these topics were covered by the media and received by the public. Through this project, I became extremely interested in the intersection of science, health, environment, and culture.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am currently a fellow with the Reynolds Journalism Institute and the Carolina Panorama newspaper, working on a newsletter investigating the racial health disparities of Columbia, South Carolina. I love working on this project because I learn something new every day and get to work on something that I feel is important.
Q: What's the website you visit most often for work?
A: I love the consistency and community of newsletters and one of my favorites is VoxCare written by Dylan Scott. Kaiser Health News is a place I go often to stay updated for work and writing.
Q: If you could write about any scientific event/breakthrough/topic (past, present or future) what would it be and why?
A: I am specifically interested in writing about the impact of health disparities on marginalized communities. I am also particularly fascinated by the impact of environmental and climate inequalities on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. I am also very passionate about innovation in science journalism and would love to work on a project that combines interactive media on food deserts and resources for these areas.
Q: Why did you join NASW and what kinds of professional connections/opportunities are you seeking?
A: I joined NASW to expand my network of science writers and participate in opportunities that can help me grow. Being relatively new to this field, I am looking forward to meeting other science writers. Participating in NASW's Virtual Summer Mentoring Program has already been such an enriching experience and I am looking forward to more opportunities like this.
Follow Fairriona on Twitter @Fairriona
