Fireside Chat: Do scientists take enough of a stand on critical issues?

Climate change, vaccines, 5G. All topics mired in debate and controversy. But, are scientists speaking out enough in public forums and the wider media on divisive topics?

Dr Declan Fahy, associate professor at DCU’s School of Communications, joins investigative journalist Maria Delaney in a fireside chat to discuss if scientists are taking enough of a stand on critical issues and what can be done to prevent conspiracies taking hold. 

This was the first event in the BEYOND CHEERING series organised by the Irish Science and Technology Journalists’ Association (ISTJA) which took a critical look at science coverage in the Irish media. This series also included a panel discussion exploring the role science reporting is playing in Irish media which you can watch back here.

Dr Declan Fahy is Chair of the BA in Journalism in the School of Communications in DCU. His research focuses on how journalists and scientists communicate complex topics which he explored in his book The New Celebrity Scientists: Out of the Lab and Into the Limelight. He also recently contributed a chapter to the book Ireland and the Climate Crisis.

Maria Delaney is president of the ISTJA. She is an investigative journalist for Noteworthy, a platform by Journal Media, publishers of Ireland’s leading online news source TheJournal.ie. She is an award-winning science and health journalist and previously worked as a freelancer for national newspapers and radio.