Widespread distrust in science: Is the way we communicate

Researchers increasingly find their work misunderstood and misused, as the iterative nature of scientific discovery clashes with an explosion in public access to and interpretation of their work.

In the summer of 2021, staffers at an animal supply store in Las Vegas put up a sign warning customers that they could not buy a certain medicine to de-worm horses unless they presented a photo of themselves with a horse. The reason: People were buying ivermectin under the mistaken belief that it was proven to protect humans from COVID-19, and in spite of  about side effects that include diarrhea, hypotension, and seizures. just one episode of pandemic confusion that spotlighted a challenge to the credibility of medical science: The way that scientists communicate about research differs from the way most people consume information about research.

“There is a communication mismatch between us and the public,” Vera Donnenberg, PhD, associate professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told attendees at the AAMC’s annual Learn, Serve, Lead conference last year.

The result is that researchers are struggling to control narratives about their work, thanks in large part to old processes clashing with new forces: The iterative nature of scientific discovery (replete with nuance, uncertainty, and even reversal) against the increasing visibility of that process (through online access to research and criticism) to a public that craves definitive conclusions.

International Conference on Communications and Media Studies Visit: ……https://communications-conferences.sciencefather.com #MediaEthics #AlternativeSocialMedia #MediaDisasterCoverage #SportsandMedia #WebLiterature #MediaStudiesandEducation