From field to media fodder: a cautionary tale from the trenches

Abstract

In recent years, UK-based academics have been under increasing pressure to demonstrate the ‘impact’ of their work, to engage the public in their research activities, and to transfer new knowledge associated with the findings of their work to various non-academic organizations and individuals. In this commentary on cultural geographies in practice, I consider whether we are fully equipped to take on these tasks, and what can happen when these broader research endeavours take on a life of their own. Drawing on my experiences in the summer of 2009 − during which my work became the focus of media attention and the subject of critical public debate − I reflect on a number of personal and professional anxieties that were amplified as events spiralled beyond my control.