Professor Einar Thorsen was conferred to the Fellowship of the Academy in spring 2025. He is Professor of Journalism and Communication and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Media and Communication at Bournemouth University. Einar’s research concerns news innovation and the future of journalism, journalism and social change, news reporting of crisis and politics.
Professor Einar Thorsen
Einar has published research on public service broadcasting and BBC News Online, live blogging, journalism role performance, and online communication security. He 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 (2020) and Sierra Leone (2021).
Einar is also Chair of the Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA) and is a member of its Executive Committee (since 2021 and 2009 respectively), Trustee of The Conversation UK (since 2024) and member of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) College of Experts (since 2025). He Chaired the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement review for Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies (2022–2024), and served on the British Academy’s Advisory Group for their report Media, Screen, Journalism and Communication Studies provision in UK higher education (2023-2024), as part of the flagship SHAPE Observatory ‘State of the Discipline’ series. He actively contributes to national policy consultations and reviews relating to higher education, research, and media regulation.
Einar also co-founded the Election Analysis series, which produces rapid response reports on major political events, including UK General Elections (2015, 2017, 2019, 2024), the EU Referendum (2016), and US Elections (2016, 2020, 2024), all of which were published just 10 days after each event.
Why do the social sciences matter?
The 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. Diverse in nature, the social sciences are the perfect conduit to foster collaborations across disciplines and cultures. They matter because our shared futures matter. They matter because humanity matters.
What inspires you about your work?
Working with other people on ideas and creative solutions that can make a positive difference to the world around us. As academics we’re in a privileged position that affords us time to advance new knowledge and build evidence bases for impact. But the most inspiring part of that is the human element of seeing things change – be that through research partners, policymakers, industry partnerships, or our students.
What is the most urgent issue social scientists need to tackle today and within the next three years?
The most urgent issue of our times is multilateral approaches to tackling sustainable development in all its forms and social scientists should be at the very centre of these debates. In the immediate short term of a three-year perspective, however, the perhaps most pressing challenge is the very definition of what constitutes a valid social enquiry at all. Across the world we have seen repeated attacks on academic expertise, attempts to delegitimise certain forms or topics of research, and increasing disregard for scientific evidence that does not fit with certain worldviews. Our information landscape meanwhile has been thrown into disarray by serious attempts to redefine and undermine established norms for how we make sense of the world and hold power accountable. This is not just about disinformation or navigating competing truth claims, but about the fundamental purpose and practice of journalism across the world. Now more than ever, we need to understand how journalism within different national contexts can and should evolve to respond to global challenges.
What does being a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences mean to you?
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.