Updated March 2026
How to Get Published in STAT News
Quick Answer: STAT News is a leading publication for healthcare, biotech, and pharmaceutical journalism — its First Opinion section accepts outside contributors and is read by health policy leaders, pharma and biotech executives, healthcare investors, academic researchers, and the journalists who cover life sciences. Getting published requires a substantive argument about healthcare policy, drug development, clinical research, digital health, or the business of medicine, grounded in genuine practitioner or scientific expertise. Submission guidelines are published on STAT's site — check the current First Opinion submission page before reaching out. For biotech founders, pharma executives, health system leaders, and digital health CEOs, a STAT First Opinion byline can be a valuable credential in life sciences thought leadership.
STAT News launched in 2015 with the specific mission of covering health, medicine, and the life sciences with the depth and rigor that the subject demands and that general business and news publications rarely provide. In the decade since, it has become one of the most respected publications for the professional community at the intersection of science, medicine, healthcare policy, and the life sciences industry. Its First Opinion section was designed explicitly as a platform for expert voices in health and medicine — researchers, clinicians, policymakers, patient advocates, and industry executives whose direct experience with the healthcare system gives their arguments a credibility that outside observers cannot match — and it publishes a wide range of perspectives, including critical arguments about industry practices. STAT is not the widest audience for a life sciences executive, but it can be one of the most relevant: a piece there is far more likely to reach the regulatory and policy community that shapes your field, the academic researchers who may engage with your clinical approach, and the healthcare journalists who cover your industry than a piece in a general business outlet would be.
What STAT First Opinion Editors Look For
Editorial Criteria
- Expert perspective, not press releases - Pieces that get placed contribute a perspective that STAT's professional readership would not otherwise encounter.
- Health policy and scientific substance - Pieces can assume familiarity with clinical trial design, regulatory pathways, and drug development economics without extensive explanation.
- Willingness to take a position - Balanced overview pieces without a clear conclusion perform less well than pieces that reach and defend a position.
- Independence from company advocacy - The piece should advance the field's understanding of a question, not the company's interest in a particular outcome.
- Disclosure of conflicts - Financial relationships, consulting arrangements, and board seats must be disclosed as part of the submission.
Types of Content STAT First Opinion Publishes
Coverage Areas
- Pharma and biotech - Drug development strategy, clinical trial design, and industry business models
- Health policy - Regulatory reform, drug pricing, and healthcare system structure
- Clinical medicine - Practice-level perspectives from physicians and healthcare delivery leaders
- Digital health - AI in healthcare, digital therapeutics, and health technology regulation
- Essays in the 900-1,000 word range - STAT's guidance format for First Opinion contributions
Step-by-Step Process to Get Published in STAT First Opinion
Ask: what has your organization learned, experienced, or observed that is not yet part of the public conversation in STAT's coverage of your domain? The answer is your First Opinion argument.
Review STAT's recent First Opinion pieces and news coverage in your subject area. Identify what STAT has been covering and where there are gaps, unresolved questions, or underrepresented perspectives.
STAT First Opinion favors contributors willing to make an argument — about a regulatory decision that was wrong, a research practice that needs reform, or a policy approach that will produce better outcomes than the current consensus.
Write as you would to an intelligent colleague in a neighboring field — someone who understands healthcare and science but not your specific specialty. Avoid jargon that requires explanation, but do not oversimplify.
STAT's guidance is for First Opinion essays in the range of roughly 900-1,000 words.
Disclose relevant financial relationships — investments, consulting arrangements, board seats — and any assistance received in writing the piece. Undisclosed conflicts of interest can quickly end an editorial relationship.
Send either a complete piece or a brief pitch describing the argument, your credential, and why it is timely. Include your title and organization, and specify which STAT beat the piece addresses — pharma, biotech, health policy, clinical medicine, or digital health.
For pieces tied to active news developments — an FDA decision, a major clinical trial result, a significant healthcare policy change — send the complete piece rather than a pitch, as editorial decisions are often made quickly.
Common Mistakes When Pitching STAT News
- Writing more about the company than the issue - Editors and readers recognize company advocacy dressed as expert opinion, and it damages the contributor's credibility.
- Writing for a general business audience - Pieces that define basic scientific terms or explain how drug approval works will not match STAT's editorial level.
- Avoiding controversy - Pieces that avoid engaging with legitimate criticisms of industry practices read as lobbying and receive skeptical review.
- Omitting disclosure - Undisclosed financial relationships or writing assistance can quickly end an editorial relationship.
- Presenting a balanced overview without a conclusion - Pieces that don't take a clear position perform less well with STAT's editors.
Sample Headlines That Work for STAT News
STAT First Opinion headlines take a clear position on a health or life sciences question. Study these patterns:
How Phantom IQ Supports Your STAT News Pitch Strategy
Phantom IQ helps executives build the consistent publishing record that makes top-tier pitching more viable. Many executives who want a STAT News byline have no established publishing track record — often one of the first things editors consider. Helping build that record across a range of publications can create a stronger media foundation for an eventual top-tier pitch.
Top-tier pitching at STAT News is best pursued on a case-by-case basis — identifying when your expertise, a relevant news cycle, and the right editorial contact align, and shaping a pitch to meet that publication's editorial bar. No placement can be guaranteed. What we focus on is a systematic approach: developing the argument with care, calibrating the pitch to the right editor and section, and managing follow-up professionally.
Executives who achieve STAT News placements typically do so because the preparation was right — not because a placement was promised.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I submit to STAT News First Opinion?
You can send either a complete piece or a brief pitch describing the argument, your credential, and why it is timely. Check STAT's current First Opinion submission page for the exact submission path before reaching out.
Who reads STAT News First Opinion?
STAT First Opinion is read by health policy leaders, pharma and biotech executives, healthcare investors, academic researchers, and the journalists who cover life sciences.
What is the ideal word count for a STAT First Opinion essay?
STAT's guidance is for First Opinion essays in the range of roughly 900-1,000 words.
Does STAT require disclosure of financial relationships?
Yes. STAT asks contributors to disclose relevant financial relationships — investments, consulting arrangements, board seats — and any assistance received in writing the piece. Undisclosed conflicts of interest can quickly end an editorial relationship.
Does STAT First Opinion publish company announcements?
No. First Opinion is not a venue for announcing company milestones, defending company positions in public disputes, or restating industry consensus. Editors and readers recognize company advocacy dressed as expert opinion.
Does STAT First Opinion publish critical perspectives on industry practice?
Yes. STAT's editorial culture values independent, sometimes critical perspectives from industry insiders, which gives it an editorial independence that makes it more credible to its sophisticated readership than a purely industry-friendly platform would be.
How technical can a STAT First Opinion piece be?
STAT readers are health and science professionals, so pieces can assume familiarity with clinical trial design, regulatory pathways, and drug development economics without extensive explanation. Purely technical pieces without policy or societal implication fit better in peer-reviewed journals.
Which STAT beat should I specify in my pitch?
Specify in your pitch which STAT beat your piece addresses: pharma, biotech, health policy, clinical medicine, or digital health.
Resources & Links
Official STAT News Resources
- STAT First Opinion - Study recent essays and current submission guidance
- STAT News - Track ongoing coverage in your life sciences subject area