For our regular open lunch event in January we welcomed three speakers to talk about research and the media.
Andy Tattersall is Information Specialist in the School of Medicine and Population Health at the University of Sheffield.
Anna Barker is an Associate Professor in Criminal Justice and Criminology in the School of Law.
Kersti Mitchell is Media Relations Manager at the University of Leeds and former producer and reporter at BBC Look North.
A full recording of the event is available on YouTube:
The missing link: the quality of UK local and national online media coverage of research
Andy Tattersall is a former journalist and has worked at Sheffield since 2001 with a remit to provide support and guidance to staff and students in their use of technology and information resources. He kicked off the event today with a discussion of his co-authored paper:
Tattersall, A. and Carroll, C., 2023. The missing link: the quality of UK local and national online media coverage of research. Insights: the UKSG journal, 36(1), p.15.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.624
The intersection between research and journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. However, ensuring that research findings are accurately represented and accessible to the public can sometimes be a challenge. Andy’s paper explores the coverage of academic research in UK media, the extent to which the primary research is linked to and implications for research communication.
Using data from Altmetric.com, Andy and his colleague Chris Carroll set out identify how much of Sheffield’s research is cited in the local and national media with a goal to develop a checklist to encourage better quality reporting of research. Ideally for example, a paper linked from a news item (if any) should be an open access version. They were also interested in links to research funders or named researchers.
Regional versus national
For regional media only 37 of 268 news items included links to the research paper with lots of links to advertisements. National media was much better at linking to the source research paper with fewer adverts. Neither local or national news tended to cite or link to funders however.
The research only manually checked links in the Guardian, Metro, and Financial Times, because they were the only ones within the altmetric results that allowed data to be interrogated directly whereas the Daily Mail – which publishes a lot of research – did not.
Many Guardian articles were actually blogs and essays that did link to the research, but didn’t necessarily cite it clearly; it might underpin the actual piece. Occasionally, individual journalists and writers like like George Monbiot (in the Guardian) include a proper, formatted citation at the foot of the story which is obviously good practice.
Clear guidelines
A proposed checklist includes essential elements such as:
- Link to the research paper: Preferably, the open-access version to ensure accessibility to all readers.
- Link to the primary or corresponding academic’s webpage: Providing additional context and contact information for interested readers.
- Link to the funder: Acknowledging the support of funding agencies and promoting transparency.
- Link to the institution: Establishing credibility and providing context for the research.
- Inclusion of journalist’s name or source: Adding credibility and accountability to the reporting process.
- Full journal paper citation: When applicable, to facilitate further exploration by readers.
By ensuring that research findings are accurately represented and accessible to the public, media outlets play a vital role in bridging the gap between academia and society. By following these guidelines, news outlets can enhance the accuracy, transparency, and accessibility of research communication, and help to foster a more informed public discourse.
Andy concluded by suggesting that fostering collaboration between librarians, academics, and journalists is necessary to improve the quality of research reporting and dissemination.
Making parks safer for women in girls
After the overarching principles of Andy’s talk, Anna Barker discussed a study on women and girls’ perceptions of safety in parks and how she has collaborated with Kersti Mitchell, the External Communications and Campaigns Manager at the University of Leeds, to amplify the visibility of her research.
Despite being an essential aspect of urban life, parks are potentially dangerous, particularly for women. Anna’s research aimed to shed light on this overlooked aspect of public safety within the broader context of national safety statistics.
The work explored individuals’ perception of safety through qualitative interviews with women and girls themselves. This human-centred approach provided valuable insight but also ethical considerations in safeguarding participants’ anonymity in media coverage.
It wasn’t until research findings were translated into actionable guidance for park managers, police, and policymakers that it gained significant traction in the media. Collaborating with various organisations and partners, Anna and her colleagues developed a set of principles and case studies, that were later adopted as part of the prestigious Green Flag Award.
The launch of the guidance at an international conference sparked media interest, resulting in coverage from BBC News and The Guardian. Anna admitted some initial apprehension around media engagement, and Kersti’s support and guidance were invaluable in giving her confidence.
News coverage has increased the visibility of the research and catalysed tangible action, including training sessions for police and policy discussions at the parliamentary level.
A successful media campaign
By aligning their campaign with a conference and issuing national guidelines, Anna and her team were able to create a compelling narrative that resonated with both the media and with the public.
Then Kersti was able to support Anna with an initiative for International Women’s Day in March 2023 when they took the opportunity to highlight an audio artwork project aimed at empowering women skaters. This innovative angle captured media interest, leading to coverage the Yorkshire Post and The Guardian and emphasises the importance of a human-interest story to ensure the research remained relevant and relatable to diverse audiences.
Success in media outreach is not guaranteed and requires persistence as well as creativity and collaboration to amplifying research impact and make a lasting impact on society. Kersti and the Media Relations team can support University of Leeds colleagues by pitching newsworthy stories on your behalf, helping you prepare for any interviews and monitoring coverage.
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