We live in an era of misinformation. How can science journalists and communicators do their jobs effectively in this climate?
False or fake stories about the coronavirus pandemic, the mpox outbreak, climate change, vaccines, and more have amplified challenges to clearly communicating complex stories. What makes misinformation so appealing? Why do people believe it and share it? And how can science journalists and communicators break through all the noise?
Hear answers to these questions and more in this conversation between Science contributing correspondent Kai Kupferschmidt and Briony Swire-Thompson, assistant professor and director of the Psychology of Misinformation Lab at Northeastern University. Kupferschmidt is currently a Knight Science Journalism fellow focusing on misinformation and how to combat it. Swire-Thompson studies why people believe in misinformation, why they share it, and how to effectively correct erroneous reports.
We’ll share research on science misinformation and a tipsheet of resources, and give participants some tangible advice. The Chat will include plenty of time for answering questions.