This blog is part of our series of conversations on all things podcast to celebrate the launch of Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco. This time we are speaking with Dr. Rosemary Hiscock, Research Associate in the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath.
Rosemary is a guest on episode 7 of Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco where she discuss the impact of the tobacco industry on our environment.
(Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, not of the Tobacco Control Research Group or the University of Bath)
Why did you want to get involved in the project?
I think it’s important that our work gets seen by as wide an audience as it can be. The activities of the tobacco industry impact on everyone, whether we are directly affected by smoking or not. Our team have insights on the tobacco industry that the general public are not aware of so it’s important for people to know about and understand our work.
Did you have any concerns about taking part in the podcast?
I think this would depend on the topic. My episode was about the environment – I spoke a bit about deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions through the tobacco supply chain and cigarette filters. In my experience, this is not a particularly controversial area and is not really complicated to explain, but perhaps I would have concerns about getting involved with the podcast if I was talking about a different subject.
What was your experience of working on the podcast like?
I brushed up on some of the key papers in this area before the recording and refreshed my memory on some of my own work so I could feel confident in the interview. I had never been in a proper sound recording booth before so that was new. I found the recording a little awkward at the beginning but I settled into it as it went on.
It was interesting recording with Louis as the interviewer. I’m used to seeing Louis as a member of our team, not as a podcast host but he was very good.
What do you think of podcasts as a medium to disseminate research on this topic?
Podcasts are particularly good for people who are dyslexic or like to listen while, for example, exercising or undertaking practical projects. The podcast series will enable people to engage with our work in another way. Podcasts can attract very different audiences depending on topics, presenters and publishers, so they are good medium to disseminate research.
What podcasts do you like to listen to? Do you listen to podcasts at particular times?
I like to listen to BBC Radio 4 podcasts on BBC Sounds. I also like the ZOE podcast which is all about science and nutrition. I listen while I’m doing repetitive number-related research tasks, travelling or undertaking other mundane activities.
In one sentence, why do you think people should listen to Deadly Industry: Challenging Big Tobacco?
People should listen to my episode because the environment is under terrible threat from various angles and the tobacco industry is a contributing factor to that - I don’t think that is well known so we explain it in my podcast episode.
Are there any episodes you are particularly looking forward to hearing/anything you think we should cover in future episodes?
I’m looking forward to listening to the episode on lobbying as it’s an area I don’t know much about. And it’s always interesting to listen to what Anna Gilmore has to say.
TCRG have many exciting projects in progress at the moment and I look forward to hearing about them on the podcast in due course.
