Editor-in-chief receives Queen’s Birthday honour

The editor-in-chief of Cosmos magazine, Elizabeth Finkel, has been made a member of the Order of Australia “for significant services to the print media as a science journalist and author, and as a supporter of a range of not-for-profit organisations”.

Finkel said that she was delighted by the award which showed that “pecking away” at issues as a journalist was appreciated.

“Receiving recognition that you’ve been ‘of meritorious service’ to your country is deeply rewarding,” she said.

“It is also wonderful recognition for the tenacious efforts of the team at Cosmos magazine. We are a troupe of like-minded souls, passionate about journalism and sharing the wonders of science with the world.”

It was also a tribute to Australian culture.

“I give thanks to this wide brown land with its egalitarianism and opportunity – where immigrant stories, like my own, flourish.”

Finkel has won a raft of awards for her writing over the years, having tackled complex issues such as genomics and stem cell science.

Last year, she won the Eureka Prize for her feature Will a statin a day really keep the doctor away that analysed the controversy surrounding anti-cholesterol medications.