Interviews in Popular Media
We recently developed a video for the South African Department of Science and Technology, for one of our funders, in collaboration with Durham University (UK). It describes the Waste-to-Soil concept we have been focusing on, with two targets: (1) improving public risk perception, and (2) developing a tool to facilitate communication with local agricultural businesses and government (to send as a precursor to discussions about the more technical risk data).
(high definition, view at 720p)
The Legionella work gained some media attention due to the public perception of risk, and resulted in numerous interviews. Although I gained invaluable experience in communicating academic science to the public, I learnt the force of the media. I will only entertain interviews in future if I have a publication track record longer than 5 years in the field of interest, and a message that is clear and valuable. I learnt (through missteps) to choose words carefully to avoid misquoting, and the necessity of holding my ground to prevent the strong public tendency towards fear-mongering.
Radio (Cape Talk)
Written (Cape Times, Times Live, Business Insider)
Television (eNCA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ6_RuOqHho
The run-up to the 2021 COP26 UN Climate Change Congress (Glasgow, Scotland), has involved a number of live-streamed international conversations on soil regeneration and circular economy. I participated in some held at Durham University with online audiences, and later uploaded to Youtube. Sections of these interviews were shown at COP26.
A Nation that Rebuilds its Soils, Rebuilds Itself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJLrM3JHdL4
Terrariums and Soil Education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QLGI_Sw9Y