The Conversation is a network of not-for-profit media outlets that publish news stories and research reports online, with accompanying expert opinion and analysis. The website aims to provide reliable and accessible information to the public, sourced from the university and research sector, and edited by professional journalists.
How The Conversation works
The Conversation was founded in 2010 in Australia, with the vision of creating a new model of journalism that bridges the gap between academia and the wider society. The website invites academics and researchers to pitch their ideas or respond to requests from editors, who then work with them to produce articles that are engaging, informative, and evidence-based. The articles are published under a Creative Commons license, which means they can be freely republished by other media outlets or organizations.
The Conversation has since expanded to several regions around the world, including Africa, Canada, France, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain, UK, and US. Each region has its own editorial team and board of directors, but they share a common mission and values. The website covers a wide range of topics, from arts and culture to science and technology, and features various formats such as analysis, commentary, explainer, fact check, podcast, and video.
Why The Conversation matters
The Conversation offers a unique platform for academics and researchers to share their expertise and insights with the public, and to engage in dialogue with readers and peers. The website also provides a valuable source of information for journalists, policymakers, educators, students, and anyone interested in learning more about current or relevant issues. The website claims to have more than 13 million monthly readers worldwide, and more than 38,000 academic contributors from over 2,300 institutions.
The Conversation is funded by universities, research institutes, foundations, government agencies, and individual donors. The website operates on the principles of transparency, trust, and quality. The articles disclose the authors’ affiliations and potential conflicts of interest, and are subject to rigorous editorial standards and peer review. The website also invites feedback from readers and monitors the impact of its articles through metrics such as views, comments, shares, citations, and media mentions.
How to get involved with The Conversation
The Conversation welcomes contributions from academics and researchers who have relevant expertise or experience on a topic of public interest. The website provides guidelines on how to pitch an idea or write an article for The Conversation. The authors retain the intellectual property rights to their articles, but agree to publish them under a Creative Commons license.
The website also encourages readers to sign up for free newsletters or podcasts that deliver the latest articles or highlights to their inbox or device. Readers can also follow The Conversation on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn. Readers can also comment on the articles or join the conversation by using the hashtag #TCUS on Twitter.
