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The Conversation US turns two

The Conversation US team in Boston. TCUS , Author provided

It was on Oct. 21, 2014 that The Conversation US was launched from a small office on the Boston University campus. We were following in the successful footsteps of our colleagues in Australia and the United Kingdom, but there was, inevitably, a bit of apprehension as to how this new model for journalism, written by academics and edited by journalists for the general public, would be received in the U.S.

Two years on we’re happy to report that there is plenty to celebrate.

We have now worked with over 2,700 scholars from over 500 universities. We have two editors in Atlanta, housed at Georgia State University, and one in New York. Under our Creative Commons license, our articles are read five million times monthly and are regularly republished by, among others, Time, Salon, the Washington Post, the New Republic and CNN. And, through a collaboration with the Associated Press, The Conversation content is now available daily on the AP wire.

Our contributors are enthusiastic:

“A great place for scientists/academics to engage with the public, communicate science, and make an impact on society…Before The Conversation arrived, it was much harder for academics to reach wider audiences. Now, they are beginning to have little excuse.”

And so are our readers:

“Its not often that on websites you get a balanced approach to the topics under consideration. The Conversation does that more than most.”

“Smart, engaging, well-balanced writing and perspectives on important issue. It’s refreshing to read perspectives and articles that do not fall back on sarcasm, idioms, irreverence, or other current digital writing tropes to engage the reader.”

We may still be a toddler, but we have big ambitions and, as you will see in the months to come, there are plenty of exciting developments afoot.

So, as we enter our third year, we want to thank our 34 partner universities, our 11 supporting foundations, our 2700+ authors and all of you, our loyal readers.

Happy Birthday!

Below, you’ll find a selection of articles that appeared our first week of publication.

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