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Welcome to the QUEST podcast, a series of conversations with leading science communication professionals around Europe.
We learn about the challenges and current trends that impact their work, and hear their advice on how other science communicators can improve the effectiveness of their communication activities. Over the course of the six episodes, we focus in particular on views from female science researchers and specialist science and technology journalists.
Effective collaboration between scientists and the media is critical in shaping the public’s understanding and ability to act on climate change. This episode of our podcast discusses the main challenges, and possible solutions, that arise when scientists and journalists work together.
This episode looks at the challenges that scientists and journalists face when communicating about climate change. Should scientists aim to make confident statements and avoid discussing scientific uncertainties when talking to the general public about climate change? Rather than just feeding the public with negative stories, how can journalists educate and inform their audience, and help build the public’s agency and ability to respond to the crisis?
The QUEST podcast episode on climate change was submitted for an CMCC Climate Change Communication Award “Rebecca Ballestra”. Read more here.
You can listen to the episodes directly from our website, but we encourage you to subscribe to ensure you don’t miss our show. The following links will take you directly to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
In this episode
Dr. Jana Sillmann, Research Director, CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Norway
Dr. Jana Sillmann is Research Director at CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Norway’s leading institute for climate research, and leads the Climate Impacts group. She is an internationally well-recognised expert in the field of climate extremes and associated socioeconomic impacts and risks with highly cited journal articles. She is a lead author of the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and is co-chair of the Development Team of the Knowledge Action Network on Emergent Risks and Extreme Events (Risk KAN).
Philippa Nuttall Jones, Editor-in-chief, Energy Monitor, Belgium
Philippa Nuttall Jones is Energy Monitor’s Editor-in-chief. She is based in Brussels and has over 20 years’ experience as a journalist and communications expert covering environmental issues, energy and climate change from the UK, France and Belgium. She has excellent knowledge of the Brussels bubble – EU institutions and policies – and strong academic qualifications from the University of Cambridge, La Sorbonne, and the University of London (SOAS).
Podcast production team
Host: Barbara Schofield
Barbara worked as a reporter, producer and editor in BBC broadcast newsrooms and in features production for 15 years before moving into academic life at City, University of London. She was until recently Programme Director of Undergraduate Journalism at City, while also working on the Erasmus+ INSPIRE project to encourage inclusivity in higher education through training in media skills. She has been active on several other EU-funded partnership projects including MicroEuropa and the Global Environmental Journalism Training Initiative (GEJI). As Research Officer on the QUEST project she has devised an updated curriculum for MA Science Journalism programmes, and a Toolkit to encourage accurate and effective science journalism – available in May 2021.
Producer: Atina Dimitrova
Atina is a City, University of London alumna who did a degree in Journalism. She did her MA in International Relations at King’s College London. Atina is working as MailOnline’s UK social media assistant. She has work experience across a range of media outlets such as The Guardian, The Times and The Sunday Times Magazine. She has also worked as a hub assistant at the Election Broadcast Hub, BBC Elstree Centre during the 2018 Local Election programme and the 2017 General Election programme.
