Reading in the news - Thu 21 Jan

COVID-19: expert comment on the coronavirus pandemic

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) featured on a BBC Radio Manchester listener phone-in. Dr Clarke is also mentioned in this Telegraph article on the vaccine priority list; and is quoted in The Guardian, BBC Science Focus, Mail Online (print also), Yahoo News, The Irish Post and local outlets across the UK on the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine on the UK ‘Kent' variant.
• Prof Ian Jones (Biological Sciences) is quoted in a Reuters article about China's new antibody test travel policy - the article is picked up by multiple international outlets, including Mail Online, MSN, and Yahoo News.
• Comment from Dr Al Edwards (Pharmacy) features in Mail Online for an article on using testing to help reduce the quarantine period for close contacts. The same comments were used for another Mail Online article on quarantine requirement for travellers to the UK. 

Farming subsidies: BBC Radio 4, Farmers Weekly, Farming UK, CPM Magazine, Western Morning News (print) and Devon Live report on research Reading was involved in showing subsidies paid to farmers for protecting the environment lead to more stable incomes than other forms of payment.

Other coverage

• BBC Berkshire Online and BBC Radio Berkshire (news bulletins) report on the University's response to the open letter from Reading University Students' Union (RUSU) calling for a partial tuition fee reduction, as well as further support for students during the pandemic.
• Prof Helen Dodd (Psychology) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about a report out this week that suggested children who started school this September were not as ‘school-ready' as usual because they were unable to go to nursery during the first lockdown. Clips from the interview featured in news bulletins yesterday and this morning.
• Dr Mark Shanahan (Politics) spoke to Heart Berkshire (and again) about President Biden's priorities upon taking office.
• A University Business article on the new Turing scheme, which will replace the Erasmus+ scheme, features comment from Prof David Carter (International Study & Language Institute) on what makes a successful exchange programme.
• BBC History Magazine (print) includes a mention of research by Prof Ken Dark of a likely location of Jesus' childhood home.
• BBC Radio Cambridgeshire spoke to someone from Stitchlinks, an organisation encouraging people to take up knitting as a way to help improve their mental health. They mentioned some research that has been conducted at the University of Reading related to mood, anxiety and depression.
• Women's Weekly Healthy Living (print) includes Reading research which found that drinking tea can reduce blood pressure in its wellbeing round-up section.
• India Education Diary covers the news of an innovative neighbourhood project run by the University that has won an architectural award. Read our news story.
• FoodProcessing.com.au features a story on the EIT-funded Smart Tags project, which is working with consumers, producers and retailers to develop smart labelling to enable people to be more informed about their food choices. Read our news story.
• Guardian obituaries for pioneering social worker, Joan Fratter, and scientist Brian Bointon mention that they both studied at the University of Reading.
• The Henley Business School Africa has announced that it is accepting applications for its Sol Plaatje media scholarship, report Media Update, My ZA and Agri Africa.
• A blog post on Raspberry Pi Blog on underrepresentation in computing education features a write-up of a seminar co-hosted by Dr Billy Wong (Institute of Education) on post-14 computing education in English schools.