This Mediating Change workshop explores how social and other online media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and blogging have altered the landscape of communication and engagement around climate change science and policy in recent years.

The workshop will feature:

• Tamsin Edwards, Earth System Modeller (Bristol, School of Geographical Sciences); @flimsin, http://blogs.plos.org/models/
• Mark Brandon, Polar Oceanographer (OU science); @icey_mark, http://mallemaroking.org/
• Richard Holliman, OU Champion for Public Engagement with Research (Research, Scholarship and Quality Unit); http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/per/
• Warren Pearce, Research Fellow (University of Nottingham) on Making Science Public programme, focusing on the relationship between scepticism and science, with a particular emphasis on the online debates around climate change; @warrenpearce
• Barry Woods, Member of the public blogging and tweeting on the policies, politics, economics and science of climate change (man made & natural); @barryjwoods blog at www.unsettledclimate.org

They joined media and environment researcher Joe Smith (OU geography, @citizenjoesmith) and director of the Making Science Public programme Brigitte Nerlich (University of Nottingham, @bnehrlich) who will bring their experience to bear on a question that is of relevance to all researchers engaged in complex or contentious issues: How are these now well established media platforms influencing public debates, and how can researchers best make use of them?   The workshop will be chaired by Melissa Butcher (OU geography), former radio producer who is currently leading two projects, Hackney as Home (https://twitter.com/hackneyashome) and Creating the 'New' Asian Woman. 

Registration:

Please email Openspace@open.ac.uk to reserve a place at this event. Please specify in your email if you are not an Open University employee; further details on getting to the OU campus and on the location of the meeting room will be provided.

Click here for Podcast version