Q&A with Nicole Raleigh, Pharmaphorum

Life science journalists hold a critical role translating important discoveries into news for the general public, and informing other scientists of exciting new development in their fields. Pharmaphorum is a leading trade publication focusing on the pharma and healthcare industries, and is a regular media target for Spark's life sciences clients. We recently spoke with Nicole Raleigh, Pharmaphorum's web editor, to get her views on the industry and her advice to PRs on what type of stories most interest her readers.

How did you get into journalism? I've long had a passion for the written word and an appetite for the important stories to tell. That path has meandered through different sectors over the years, but pharma journalism hits those broad key interest points of innovation, a future-considerate gaze, and – crucially – humanity.

Can you tell us more about Pharmaphorum? Our mission has always been to educate, inform, engage, and connect pharmaceutical industry leaders and to equip them to thrive in healthcare’s evolving digital future. Pharmaphorum is exactly what its name implies, a forum where the pharmaceutical industry can share learnings, insights, and more to advance the field.

What is are your biggest areas of interest within the life sciences sector? Personally, I find developments within oncology and rare disease – specifically as pertains to cell and gene therapies and the ongoing endeavours to ameliorate accessibility and affordability to these incredible innovations – fascinating to pursue and describe informatively, journalistically, within life sciences. That, and the incomprehensibly senseless lag and gap in women’s health.

Any advice for PRs out there that want to pitch stories to Pharmaphorum? We are a B2B platform that seeks the most pertinent trends, insights, and innovations to report on. Tell us what’s new, say it in a way that’s fresh, and bring us stories that are ripe and ready to be eagerly digested by our readers: life sciences professionals.

What is your biggest frustration with the PR community? Not properly researching and understanding the publication you’re pitching to. That, and doing so in italics.

Who would you most like to interview and why? In terms of ‘Who would be your ideal dinner party companion?’ — then Marie Curie, for reasons which are self-explanatory, given everything stated above.