Doug Specht covers media, technology, law, and geopolitics for Geographical magazine

7 October 2025

Geography, Media, Policy

Doug Specht, in his role as columnist for Geographical magazine, spent the summer offering insightful analysis on contemporary issues spanning symbolism, media, technology, humanitarian law, and geopolitics.

Among his latest contributions, “What do flags say about us?” explores the potent and ambiguous meanings of flags in protest and daily life, examining how these visual symbols unite and divide societies, and their shifting roles in political discourse and cultural identity. In another recent article, Specht delves into the transformation of French media coverage of extreme weather, explaining how editorial narratives now firmly place climate change at the centre of national conversation, connecting regional reporting with broader efforts to inspire adaptation and resilience.

His investigation into “The peril of big tech in disaster response” exposes the risks behind digital dependence for emergency communications, using the inadequate performance of Google’s earthquake alert system in Türkiye as a stark example. Specht argues for hybrid disaster preparedness that balances technological innovation with analogue, community-led solutions. Reporting on humanitarian law, he assesses a UK parliamentary report warning of how cuts to aid and politicisation are undermining global safety and accountability in conflict zones, calling for stronger leadership, increased localisation of aid, and renewed commitment to impartiality in humanitarian support.

Turning to legal precedent and environmental justice, Specht analyses Scotland’s proposed Ecocide Bill, which seeks to criminalise severe environmental harm and could set a new global benchmark for holding polluters accountable. He details the Bill’s radical implications for legal accountability and the need for robust enforcement to make these protections a reality. In his coverage of the international cartographic controversy, Specht examines Mexico’s lawsuit against Google’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as “Gulf of America” for US audiences, exposing the geopolitical and cultural consequences of digital mapping power and the complexities of sovereign identity in the age of algorithmic cartography.

Most recently, he examined Blair’s proposal to chair a transitional authority in Gaza, and reflected upon the life and powerful legacy of Jane Goodall.

See all of Specht’s recent publications below and view his column on Geographical here.