Matthew C. Nisbet

Matthew C. Nisbet

Associate Professor of Communication, Northeastern University

Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Public Policy, and Urban Affairs  at Northeastern University. Nisbet studies the role of communication and advocacy in policymaking and public affairs, focusing on debates over over climate change, energy, and sustainability. Among awards and recognition, Nisbet has been a Visiting Shorenstein Fellow on Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, a Health Policy Investigator at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a Google Science Communication Fellow. In 2011, the editors at the journal Nature recommended Nisbet's research as “essential reading for anyone with a passing interest in the climate change debate,” and the New Republic highlighted his work as a “fascinating dissection of the shortcomings of climate activism."

Everything Videos Articles
Greenwire on Obama’s Strategy to Morally Stigmatize Conservatives Who Dismiss Climate Change
Last week I spoke with Elana Schor of Greenwire about the Obama White House and Organizing for America’s strategy to pre-empt efforts by conservatives to undermine support for the proposed […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
BC Canada’s The Tyee Magazine on Bill McKibben and Building a Broader Climate Movement
At The Tyee this week, a terrific non-profit online magazine covering news, culture and solutions as they relate to British Columbia and beyond, Geoff Dembicki profiles Bill McKibben and his work as […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Why Google’s Support for James Inhofe Is Not Only Morally Wrong, But Bad for Business
In 2011, as a Google Science Communication fellow, I spent several days with other scientists and academics at the company’s headquarters learning about new tools and strategies for engaging the public […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
The Hill Newspaper on Obama’s Climate Change Messaging
This past week at The Hill newspaper, Ben Geman analyzed President Obama’s speech on climate change, highlighting remarks from environmentalists who welcome Obama’s apparent shift in communication strategy.  In the […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Debating Bioethics Openly: Taking Advantage of Major Events to Engage the Public
In the July issue of The Scientist magazine, my colleague Declan Fahy and I contributed a commentary discussing the need for scientists and ethicists to engage the public on major trends and […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
The Opponent: How Bill McKibben Changed Environmental Politics and Took on the Oil Patch
For the May/June issue of Canada’s Policy Options magazine, I contributed an article adapted from my Spring 2013 Shorenstein Center paper examining the career of environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben.  With anticipation building over Obama’s […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
At New Scientist Magazine, Assessing the UK Government’s Goal of Changing the Conversation About Food Biotechnology
At the New Scientist magazine last week, I was asked to provide an analysis of UK environment minister Owen Paterson’s announcement that his government would seek to change the conversation about  food […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
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