Uses of academic knowledge : the university in the media

There is a pattern of criticism in the media and public sphere of universities for being ‘out of touch’, disconnected from the ‘real world’, outside the ivory tower, complacently and indulgently oblivious to ‘ordinary people’s’ needs and priorities. This criticism takes various forms. The profile imperatives of contemporary universities seeking legitimacy, ‘brand identity’ and enhanced market position under conditions of a more marketized and privatized higher educational system, have led to frequent, stringent attempts to situate academic knowledge within everyday media discourse (Rowe, 2005). Indeed, in pedagogical terms, this academic–media nexus might be viewed as the extension of the intramural practices of formal university research and teaching towards what might be called ‘public pedagogy’ (Brass, 2006). It is in this context that we wish to go beyond a discussion of the polarization of academic knowledge (especially in the broad field of humanities and social sciences in which the authors are located) and other forms of knowledge (especially that represented as ‘common’) to explore the ways in which, on a routine basis, the product of university-based academic labour is placed in the service of wider public discourse, and particularly, for this article, journalistic publics.