How to create a compelling quantum story: Insights from Katia Moskvitch
13 October 2025
Two years ago, TFD launched the Quantum Collective to help marketing and communications professionals navigate what is a complex and often challenging field.
Quantum is undeniably having its moment. Our research into the quantum media landscape revealed that global English-language coverage of quantum technologies surged 94% in business publications over the last 12 months, with specialist tech and trade publications seeing a 34% increase. Yet this increase in media interest has come with a challenge. Journalists consistently tell us how difficult it is to decipher quantum, while senior communications leads across the industry identify balancing technical complexity with audience understanding as their biggest hurdle.
To explore how we can bridge this gap between breakthrough science and accessible communication, we recently hosted a LinkedIn Live Q&A with Katia Moskvitch.
As an award-winning journalist for the likes of BBC and WIRED, ex-IBM Research Communications lead, and previous World Economic Forum quantum lead, Katia has worked on both sides of the quantum story. Today, she's channelling this experience into TesserAct Quantum, her venture to make quantum technologies engaging and accessible – including offering free quantum programming courses. Alongside her nine-year-old son, Katia also hosts "The Quantum Kid" podcast, where together they explore quantum topics, interviewing luminaries like Peter Shor and Nobel Laureate Steven Chu from locations as far-flung as the Atacama desert.
As a scientist, storyteller, and someone who embodies the rare combination of technical knowledge and media experience, our conversation with Katia was revealing.
Importance of understanding the tech
"It is really important to deep dive into your subject before you try to write about something," Katia told us. Her own career trajectory reflects this commitment. Making the choice to specialise in physics mid-career, building on her journalism training. "Understand what you're writing before you try to translate it to your audience."
But, this isn’t accessible to everyone, and Katia emphasises that you don’t need to go so far as she did in order to understand your topic and communicate it effectively. The key here is to be curious and keep talking to people. Keep asking questions – if you don’t understand, ask again and again (within reason and respectfully, of course!) in a different way until you get it. The investment in understanding pays dividends when it comes time to communicating more broadly.
"In this industry, you are surrounded by very clever researchers," Katia explained. "Yes, they are clever, but you are equally clever. Often, these researchers don't always know how best to communicate, so they're lacking that ability that you have.” It’s when we bring those two worlds together that the story is told.
Master your media list
When it comes to media relations, Katia offered clear guidance from her time in the newsroom. Cold press releases? A definite no. Instead, always do your research and personalise your pitches.
Take the time to find the key journalist targets for your particular client, topic, or news, and research their beats – how they write, what they write, what might interest them – to maximise success and trust with those journalists. Just like understanding your topic is vital for successful communication, so too is understanding your media.
A well-researched pitch that connects your story to a journalist's existing interests or ongoing coverage is infinitely more valuable than a ‘spray-and-pray’ press release. Sometimes, your story isn't the story itself – it's a crucial piece that connects the dots in a broader narrative the journalist is already developing.
Context is everything
But a journalist will receive dozens of personalised pitches every day. What can we as individuals, as well as companies, do to catch a journalist’s eye? According to Katia, it’s all about context. "The biggest mistake companies are making is not putting their news into context,” she told us.
This is particularly relevant in quantum, where there's considerable hype around hardware breakthroughs. While these announcements are valuable in showing how the field is progressing, many represent incremental improvements rather than revolutionary breakthroughs. Providing context helps journalists and audiences understand where your announcement fits in the bigger picture and builds credibility for your organisation in the process.
The real breakthrough quantum needs
With new qubit breakthroughs and reliability benchmarks being announced every week, it's clear that quantum hardware is on its way to delivering full fault-tolerant quantum computing. Katia predicted this technology will be here very soon, perhaps sooner than five years from some applications. However, she also said the industry is facing a struggling talent pipeline that needs to catch up with the hardware.
Despite there being millions of software developers globally, there aren’t enough quantum programmers or people developing quantum algorithms. There is a massive opportunity here for the quantum industry to dedicate the necessary resources to upskill or reskill these programmers in quantum. On a broader scale, Katia advocates for quantum topics to be covered in more school curricula to get children interested earlier. For her, this is the issue that warrants the most media attention.
Ultimately, addressing the talent pipeline requires a top-down approach and an outward perspective – not just focusing on internal capabilities, but thinking about the broader ecosystem and talent pipeline.
Watch the full Q&A with Katia Moskvitch here.
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