Out of the shadow of basic research and into the media spotlight

Researchers carrying out basic researchers are very rarely the people the media turn to when looking for sources for health stories. Basic research is difficult to understand, the results have long prospects, and often there are no patients involved. Right up until the coronavirus began spreading. Which is when the journalists discovered virologist Søren Riis Paludan from the Department of Biomedicine, who has since helped Danes learn more about the virus, protective equipment and vaccines. Emphatically so. During the period from 1 March to the second week of May, he appears 515 times in Danish media, and is ranked among the top three most cited health researchers from Aarhus University.

"I spend two to three hours every day talking to journalists and checking quotes. Not all journalists have the same level of preparation or basic knowledge about viruses, how they spread and epidemics, which is needed to contextualise my statements correctly. So I spend quite a lot of time on providing background," explains Søren Riis Paludan.

Not daunted by journalists

He never had time to prepare a media strategy or reflect on his role as a virus expert in the media, before the phone started ringing from the beginning of March. When the journalists asked questions, he felt obliged to make his knowledge available and answer, and that is still how he feels eight weeks after the pandemic took hold.

"I know something about this field, and I have to share this. I’m not daunted by the media pressure, and it’s good to show the outside world that basic research environments have so much knowledge that society needs," says Søren Riis Paludan, who is among the international elite within the field of virus research.

He leads the Infection and inflammation research area at the Department of Biomedicine, which employs a number of internationally recognised experts in virology. In April and May, Søren Riis Paludan has been granted funding for corona research, which it is hoped will result in remedies and methods that can slow down the spread of the virus and contribute to a new vaccine.

As the weeks passed, the virus researcher has been in featured in almost all Danish media; From newspapers such as Ekstra Bladet to Information, and from TV and radio on TV2 and DRP3, and he does not filter out media according to type. On the other hand, he has a threshold that lies with not e.g. answering specific questions about whether it is acceptable for a particular group to go on an excursion on Saturday.

"In my experience, journalists are generally very careful, and the media are serious about their coverage. Of course, there is a difference between how they write in tabloids like BT or Ekstra Bladet and in broadsheets like Berlingske or Politiken. But in general, what I’ve said has not been distorted or misunderstood, though a factor here is also that I accept the premise that I need to start from scratch most times," says Søren Riis Paludan. He also insists on receiving his quotes for review.

"There's a big difference between what is said and what is written. Even for competent journalists, this area and material is very difficult. So I don't want to be found making errors that I can prevent myself," he says.

Aware of his role as an opinion-former

However, he is fully aware of the fact that he when he says something about the spread of the virus or similar, he takes on a role as an opinion-former.

"I’d be naive if I didn't think that I’d also be used in a political context. I take part in a larger agenda that isn’t just about health science, but also involves the country's economy and our welfare system. This has meant that I have to be clear about what I say," says Søren Riis Paludan, who, over the course of the subsequent weeks has commented on Sweden’s COVID-19 clamp down, his own scepticism about face masks and the risk of infection at funerals.

He emphasises that as far as possible, he speaks in terms which should not be perceived as political.

"It's not my job to act politically, but I go as far as I can, which may be seen as being provocative, for example when I commented in an article on herd immunity and thereby contributed to the debate, in which expertise was ignored by the politicians," he says.

He sees his media presence as a balancing act: He must think carefully about the effect of what he says while, at the same time, having a duty to present his professional scientific assessment.

"My credibility – the credibility of the entire research community – is at stake if we aren’t honest and explain what we know. This can lead to many verbal blows, but on the other hand, we’re helping to shape an agenda that has an impact on all of us."

Expertise is useful in a crisis

His appearances in the media have also increased the amount of traffic in his own inbox. Both from private individuals and professionals.

"Some people write that I'm an idiot, but luckily I also receive emails from colleagues and other professionals who give me a pat on the back. And it's nice to feel their support."

Søren Riis Paludan never coordinates his statements in the media with the other virus experts.

"I follow what my colleagues say, and generally it’s along the same lines. The professional disagreements we may have occur in some of the more complex issues, which pass over the heads of the journalists."

When the pandemic’s grip begins to loosen, Søren Riis Paludan will again be able to fully immerse himself in his research in the laboratories in the Skou Building. But he also hopes some things will be different.

"This situation shows that basic research is important and of social value. When society is in a state of crisis, we have to resort to scientific competence in order to find solutions. The broader the knowledge society has, the better prepared it is for an unforeseen crisis. Perhaps my area is very nerdy, but it’s useful when it comes to a pandemic. I think I've done what I can to make this apparent."

The three most cited health researchers from Aarhus University in national media:

Contact

Professor Søren Riis Paludan
Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University
srp@biomed.au.dk
M: (+45) 2899 2066