Trusting stories: Health, power and profit in a communication jungle
Date: Thursday 11 February 2027 | Time: 12:30 - 13:30 (GMT)
Location: Online via Zoom
- Guest speakers
- Online viewing available
Who do we trust when health stories collide? Why do some messages resonate while others provoke suspicion? When does healthy scepticism become cynicism? And what happens when governments, corporations, clinicians, journalists, influencers and algorithms all compete to shape public understanding?
Rather than offering simple answers, this whistle-stop tour with Professor Darren Kesley (Professor of Media and Collective Psychology) poses a series of provocations about trust, power, profit and storytelling in contemporary health communication. Focusing on narrative patterns, collective psychology and media landscapes, it invites audiences to rethink how stories shape belief, why credibility has become increasingly fragile, and what it means to communicate in a world where competing narratives often matter as much as competing facts.
Registration for this webinar will open in early 2027.
About Darren Kelsey
Darren Kelsey is Professor of Media and Collective Psychology at Newcastle University, where his teaching and research explore the intersections of media, communication, storytelling, health, and collective psychology. His work examines how stories shape the ways we understand ourselves, others, and the world around us, with a particular focus on wellbeing and human flourishing.
He is the author of Storytelling and Collective Psychology: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Life and the Work of Derren Brown (2022), which explores Stoic philosophy, storytelling, and their implications for mental health and collective wellbeing. His latest book, Transcendence and Collective Psychology: Cosmic Minds, Mystical Wisdom and the Work of Richard Rohr (2026), examines the psychology of transcendence and mysticism, arguing that awe and mystery can play an important role in personal transformation and collective flourishing.
Darren is currently completing a trilogy of monographs with Palgrave Macmillan on collective psychology. At Newcastle University, he teaches across media, storytelling, psychology, and communication, with a particular interest in how narratives shape public understanding of the human experience, collective psychology, and health and wellbeing.
