How the Bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park Became Celebriti…
Erin Donaghue
"Fat Bear Week," an online contest that showcases the importance of fat for healthy bears in Alaska, has become a social media juggernaut. I pitched Smithsonian Magazine on a deep dive article exploring the contest's origins. I spoke with park officials, bear cam operators, park fundraisers, and bear enthusiasts for a story that got great feedback from my editors and sources, as well as lots of social visibility.
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Posted Oct 17, 2022
For Smithsonian Magazine, I wrote about how the Katmai bear cams and a ranger's offhand idea started the wildly popular "Fat Bear Week" social media phenomenon.
