Professor Einar Thorsen, Dean of the Faculty of Media and Communication, has been conferred a Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences.
The Fellowship is in recognition of his research on subjects including news innovation and the future of journalism, journalism and social change, news reporting of crisis and politics.
He has published research on public service broadcasting and BBC News Online, live blogging, journalism role performance, and online communication security. He has co-authored a 2021 UNESCO report on journalism and sexual violence in India, and national survey reports on the impact of Covid-19 on journalists in Nepal and Sierra Leone.
He also co-founded the Election Analysis series, producing rapid response reports on major political events, including UK & US General Elections and the EU Referendum.
Professor Thorsen said, “I feel honoured and privileged to be elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, joining a community of world leading experts to champion and advocate for the centrality of social sciences in addressing the great challenges or our time.”
Announcing the appointment of new Fellowships, Will Hutton FAcSS, President of the Academy, said, “I’m delighted to welcome these 64 outstanding social scientists to the Academy’s Fellowship, whose research and practice are helping to develop solutions to pressing societal issues. From informing decision-making around environmental challenges and encouraging entrepreneurial growth to improving planning systems and tackling educational inequalities, their insights, skills and understanding are delivering positive impact to improve our daily lives.”
The Academy’s Fellowship comprises 1,600 social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors. Their expertise covers the breadth of the social sciences, and their practice and research addresses some of the major challenges facing communities, society, places and economies.
Explaining how he hopes to support the work of the Academy, Professor Thorsen said, “Social sciences provide the insights and foundations for our understanding of how the world works and the complex societal transformations that are constantly unfolding. They are fundamental to our ability to tackle society’s grand challenges and provide the human-centred focus for all sciences to shape fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable futures.”
