Sussex joins The Conversation
The University of Sussex is one of 12 UK universities to join The Conversation – a topical analysis, comment and research news website – as the project moves from its pilot phase to being an established media outlet.
A collaboration between professional editors and academics, the not-for-profit site provides the public with rolling coverage of news and access to new information about cutting-edge research - written by acknowledged experts from the university and research sector.
The site already had the backing of 20 founding partner universities, and academics from the University of Sussex have been contributing articles since The Conversation launched in 2013.
Jacqui Bealing, Senior Press Officer at Sussex, said: “Here in the Press Office we already have quite a close working relationship with The Conversation.
“Nearly 40 of our academics have now registered with the site and have written pieces, with encouragement from our press team.
“The small team of editors at The Conversation, all experienced journalists, help academics to craft timely and interesting articles and opinion pieces that are academically sound but that also reach out to a wider audience.
“The material produced by The Conversation is free to use by other websites, which means that we can use the pieces produced by our own academics for promotional purposes.”
Established publications including the Washington Post, the BBC, the Guardian, the New York Times, the Hindu, the New Zealand Herald, the Independent and the Daily Mail frequently publish, link to, and feature work produced by The Conversation.
As a member of The Conversation, the University of Sussex will now have access to
- institutional analytics (including information about where articles by Sussex authors are being republished);
- monthly training sessions, when editors will come to campus and work with academics on how to write for a public audience;
- forward planning advice, to help engage less experienced writers with less time-sensitive topics;
- and access to an intern programme for students to work in The Conversation’s offices.
Dr Ian Carter, Director of Research and Enterprise at Sussex, said: “We’re doing ground-breaking research here at Sussex and we need to make our voices heard out there in the global news environment. Membership of The Conversation will help our engagement and impact agenda.”
Editor of The Conversation, Stephen Khan, said: “Having the backing of this wide range of universities is vital as we move forward into the next phase of The Conversation’s development. We aim to produce more and better high-quality journalism, rooted in the knowledge and expertise of the academic sector.”
If you are an academic at Sussex who would like to find out more about how you can engage with and write for The Conversation (particularly if there is something in the news currently that you feel you could write about), contact Jacqui on ext 7437, E j.a.bealing@sussex.ac.uk
The Conversation is registered as a UK charity. Other than from the universities, it receives funding from the Higher Education Funding Councils for England and Wales, the Scottish Funding Council, Research Councils UK, the Nuffield Foundation, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, Nesta, SAGE and the Alliance for Useful Evidence.