2020/03/18 by Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice #Rhetoric and Communication Studies #Social and Cultural Dynamics
paper · doi:10.1177/0896920520907962
openalex publication_date 2020/03/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
What is the role of scholars when discussing activities of politicians during an election campaign? The article offers a study of articles and interviews conducted with academics in major opinion dailies Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna in the final weeks of the 2015 presidential campaign in Poland. Pielke’s categories of scientists – Honest Brokers of Policy Alternatives, Pure Scientists, Science Arbiters and Stealth Issue Advocates – are used as a point of departure to ask about the part played by scholars in media, to ‘enlighten’ and admonish readers they deem uninformed about what is good for them, or to serve a role closer to Burawoy’s Public Sociologist, who engages in dialogue with others. I conclude that given the election results, which surprised and disappointed most of these scholars, adopting the latter stance may prove a better strategy in convincing voters about the usefulness of scholarly expertise in their political choices.