Communicating Science During Covid: Trials, Tribulations & Trolls

In this final Q&A with Independent SAGE, our journalist Manasa Narayanan sat down with two brilliant members of the group, Professor Christina Pagel and Professor Sheena Cruickshank.

They discuss the importance of science communication, the role of Independent SAGE in communicating pandemic science, what worked and didn’t work, the experiences scientists had communicating science using social media and issues to do with polarisation and what lessons can be learnt from that.

Independent SAGE is a group of scientists who have been providing independent scientific advice to the UK government and public since May 2020. For the last three years, they have been holding public briefings weekly or fortnightly. They held their last pubic broadcast on 1st December 2023.