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English, Media and Creative Arts

Dr Brenda McNally

BSc, MSc, PhD.

Contact Details

Lecturer - Contract Type B
College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic
University of Galway
E: brenda.mcnally@universityofgalway.ie
 
researcher
 

Biography

Brenda is a lecturer in global media and communication at the University of Galway. Her research addresses contemporary environmental communication challenges, with a particular interest in knowledge production and misinformation in public debate about climate action, just transitions, and climate futures. She has received research funding from the British Academy (2023 Knowledge Frontiers Award), the Irish Fulbright Commission (2019 Fulbright Ireland Scholar) and the EPA (2018 Climate Call) as the PI on the project Citizens' Views of Climate Action in Ireland: Insights on Media Use, Trusted Sources and Perceptions. She is currently investigating the communication of climate justice in news media, and digital resilience in response to polycrises in environmental communication practice.

She has a PhD in Communication Studies and an MSc in Science Communication from DCU. Before joining the University of Galway, Brenda held postdoctoral fellowships at the Centre for Climate and Society, DCU and the Department of Geography, Trinity College Dublin, as well as an Assistant Professorship at the School of Communications, DCU. She previously worked as a communications professional in academic publishing, PR, and journalism.

Research Interests

My research interests include: Climate Change Communication, Visual Culture and Communication; Media and Audience Studies; Political Communication and Digital Media.

I am an environmental communication and media studies scholar interested in the relationship between media, society and environmental challenges with a particular focus on how elite actors and strategic communication influences the potential for public engagement and democratic debate.  A second line of research explores the implications of emerging media technologies for environmental communication practice. I am currently investigating the communication of climate justice in news media and digital resilience in response to polycrises in environmental journalism practice.

Research Projects

  Project Start Date End Date
Just Transitions and Land-Use Futures 20-APR-23 30-SEP-24
Citizens' Views of Climate Action in Ireland: Insights on Media Use, Trusted Sources and Perceptions 07-JAN-19 06-JAN-20

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2024) 'Public communication of climate and justice: A scoping review'
Tschötschel, R., Diamond, E., Howley, S., McNally, B., Morris, H., Perry, K., Wilhelmsen, M. E. (2024) 'Public communication of climate and justice: A scoping review'. WIREs Climate Change, [Details]
(2022) 'Altered spaces: new ways of seeing and envisioning nature with Minecraft'
McNally, B. and Andrade, B. (2022) 'Altered spaces: new ways of seeing and envisioning nature with Minecraft'. Visual Studies, 37 (3):175-182 [Details]
(2018) 'Mapping press narratives of decarbonisation: insights on communication of climate responses'
McNally, B. (2018) 'Mapping press narratives of decarbonisation: insights on communication of climate responses'. The International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, 10 (1):39-57 [DOI] [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2025) 'Where Next for Carbon Literacy? Tackling Climate Misinformation and Addressing Climate (In)Justice'
McNally, B. (2025) 'Where Next for Carbon Literacy? Tackling Climate Misinformation and Addressing Climate (In)Justice' In: Handbook of Climate Crisis Communication. London: Routledge. [Details]
(2024) 'Climate Obstruction in Ireland: The Contested Transformation of an Agricultural Economy'
Kelly, O.; McNally, B.; Stephens, J. (2024) 'Climate Obstruction in Ireland: The Contested Transformation of an Agricultural Economy' In: Climate Obstruction in Europe. :80-108 New York: Oxford University Press. [DOI] [Details]
(2018) 'Building carbon literacy: how the Irish press normalise public discussion about climate mitigation actions'
McNally, B. (2018) 'Building carbon literacy: how the Irish press normalise public discussion about climate mitigation actions' In: Handbook of Climate Change Communication. Climate Change Management (CCM), 3 . :271-284 London: Springer. [Details]

Other Journals

  Year Publication
(2015) 'Media and carbon literacy: shaping opportunities for cognitive engagement with low carbon transition in Irish media 2000-2013'
McNally, B. (2015) 'Media and carbon literacy: shaping opportunities for cognitive engagement with low carbon transition in Irish media 2000-2013' Razon Y Publica, 19 (3) :119-150. [Details]

Published Reports

  Year Publication
(2020) Citizens' Views of Climate Action in Ireland: Insights on Media Use, Trusted Sources and Perceptions.
McNally, B. (2020) Citizens' Views of Climate Action in Ireland: Insights on Media Use, Trusted Sources and Perceptions. EPA, Ireland. [Details]

Report

  Year Publication
(2024) Engaging communities in environmentally sustainable planning: recommendations for implementing geodesign in local authorities.
McNally, B. and Cocco, C. (2024) Engaging communities in environmentally sustainable planning: recommendations for implementing geodesign in local authorities. Report [Details]

Conference Publications

  Year Publication
(2023) International Conference on Videogame Sciences and Arts (VJ2023)
Andrade, B., Crowley, S., Cocco, C. and McNally, B (2023) A videogame for architectural design? Minecraft for young people to imagine desirable climate futures International Conference on Videogame Sciences and Arts (VJ2023) Portugal, [Details]
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Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2020 Fulbright Ireland Scholar Fulbright Commission Ireland
2012 Daniel O'Hare Scholarship Dublin City University

Consultancy

  Client Description
National Economic and Social Council
Pobal, Community Climate Action Programme
Bohemiam Football Club

Community Engagement

  Title Type From / To
Outreach DCU Climate Justice Week 20-MAR-23 / 28-APR-23
Research (e.g. Community based research) LOOK Climate Lab (2022), Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK 24-JAN-22 / 30-DEC-22

Reviews

  Journal Role
Urban Planning Reviewer

Modules Taught

  Term/Year Module Title Module Code Subject / Desc
Semester 2/2025 Gender, Race and the Media AJ4115
Semester 2/2025 Communicating Climate Action and Science DJ6144
Semester 1/2024 Power Without Responsibility AJ2102

External Collaborators

  Name Organisation / Institute Country Description of Collaboration
Hiroki Shin University of Birmingham UNITED KINGDOM
British Academcy Grant Application on Just Transitions
Stuart Henderson Ulster University UNITED KINGDOM
Workshop on Just Transitions and Land Use Futures
Rabia Qusien George Washington University U.S.A.
Comparative news media analysis of the COPs (2018 - 2023)