List date(s) this work was published or aired.
April, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Each year, Pharmaceutical Executive covers the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) Woman of the Year award. A Pharm Exec journalist interviews the HBA award winner and writes a feature that discusses her background, personal and professional development, and interest in health care.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The main resource was a personal interview with the Woman of the Year award winner, but I also viewed her resume and spoke briefly with her previous supervisor, Sidney Taurel, former CEO of Eli Lilly.
Explain types of human sources used.
My primary source was the Woman of the Year award winner herself, Freda Lewis-Hall. We conducted an in-person interview which I recorded digitally. I later worked off a typed transcript of that interview, which ran over 90 pages, to write this feature. I also got some quotes via email from Sidney Taurel, former CEO of Eli Lilly,
Results:
none
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
none
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
The crucial thing to remember in personal profiles is to let the conversation flow naturally and allow the individual’s personality to shine through. Don’t plan ahead what you think your story will say or how you think it will be organized, or you run the risk of over-directing the conversation to meet those expectations. Instead, let the dialogue shape the piece, not the other way around.