From the Dean's Desk: Praise for researchers who engage with the media
Knowledge is the foundation of our society. We should therefore praise the researchers who give interviews, both when communicating their research to the general public and when their research is criticised.
"From the Dean’s Desk" – a column in Inside Health
Shortly after a meeting in the Academic Council at which we talked about involvement, I received an email from one of the members of the council. She had thought about our discussions and suggested that I write directly to employees at Health in the faculty's newsletter. She suggested that I could write about some of the initiatives currently on my desk, so that all employees can keep abreast of some of the things we’re working on at the faculty.
I think it's a brilliant idea - thank you! I intend to continue this column once a month from now on.
I think that we as researchers are all a little ambivalent about appearing in the media.
On the one hand, we want to tell the world about how our work creates value for society. On the other hand, we don’t feel comfortable relinquishing control over our communication when we speak through the filter added by the journalist, and we can’t choose the headline or the angle ourselves.
There can be many reasons why we’re hesitant about giving interviews. We don’t get anything professionally from participating in a live radio interview at 6:06 in the morning or using our lunch break to explain a complex, scientific problem to a journalist. We won’t gain anything on the classic yardstick of research; it won’t boost our h-index, our citation count or our career.
I’d like to strike a blow for those who share their knowledge with the outside world. It’s a way of giving back to society, it provides legitimacy, popular insight and support.
At the same time, I can understand if, as a researcher, you find it difficult to see your years of scientific work reduced to a clickable headline and a text without nuance. This can be a little painful to be associated with. I guess we have to accept that some loss of control is part of the game when others communicate our research in an easy-to-understand way.
When we as employees at the university show openness and accessibility, we help strengthen confidence in science. If we’re willing to answer questions and discuss our work in the media, we send a signal of credibility and integrity, and we help stem misinformation and pseudoscience.
But sometimes – but fortunately only rarely – universities or researchers themselves receive criticism. In such situations, it’s very unpleasant to be in the media spotlight, regardless of whether the criticism is justified or not.
When these situations occur, it’s good to remind ourselves and each other that journalists ask questions on behalf of the population, and that we’re doing our best to be open to debate, both as a university and as individual researchers.
Instead of following what may be our first instinct and keeping a low profile, we can bring our knowledge into play and show why research is so important. Fortunately, we have ample opportunity to get help in such situations from managers, colleagues and our communications unit.
I’m convinced that the foundation for a well-functioning society is to have the courage to put our knowledge on display and participate in a democratic conversation, where we help validate decisions so that they’re taken on an informed basis. Together with other experts and people with knowledge and insight, researchers are key players in this area.