Mema o Te Apārangi | Member profile: Daniel Walker
In this month’s Member profile, we hear from Daniel Walker, who is a Kaimanaaki Pāpāho | Media Advisor at Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Tell us about your role and how long have you been employed at Royal Society Te Apārangi?
Researchers and journalists work on vastly different timescales, and use totally different vocab, so most of my work boils down to helping them get on the same page. I do media training with researchers to help boost confidence, write plain-language summaries of scientific papers to encourage news coverage (like this one on elephant poo), and round up relevant experts to comment on breaking news like the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. I've been at the Science Media Centre since 2020, which has been a turbulent time for both the media and science sectors. But there is still no other channel that rivals the reach and trust of news media. And news coverage can be more interesting, more accurate, and more well-rounded when a scientist is included.
What has been a defining highlight of your experience at Royal Society Te Apārangi?
The start of the pandemic made it crystal clear how important the Science Media Centre team's work is. While the world locked down, we lived relatively free because we could eliminate COVID-19. This might not have happened if a huge range of researchers weren't willing to step forward to share their expertise. It felt pretty incredible to be a part of that effort, and to see how good science communication can impact directly on our lives, daily.
What do you love about science?
I love the breadth! I've learned enough fun animal facts to keep a party entertained for hours, and discovered whole research fields that I never knew existed before. I love that science touches every aspect of our society. I also love the curiosity and passion of researchers that comes through when they start talking about what they love.
When not working, I enjoy ....
Anything with wheels. I'm often cruising along Wellington's waterfront on a surfskate or rollerblades. I also love listening to things - music, kaka screeching, the sound of cats snoring, etc.