#shareEGU20: GDB5 Values versus facts: should geoscience get personal?
Channel: European Geosciences Union
Date: 08/05/2020

The way in which people receive and share information has changed rapidly since the introduction of the internet and social media. This has, in some cases, assisted the rise of fake news and misinformation which is challenging the scientific community, policymaking and democracy as we know it. Scientists are trained to undertake impartial research that is built on a strong, theoretical foundation and communicate the results without emotion and injecting a storyline or opinion into research communication is often considered to have the potential to both threaten an individual’s scientific integrity and the reputation of the scientific community as a whole. 

But with the prevalence of fake news, populism and misinformation increasing, do we as scientists need to re-think the way we communicate our science? 



After all, it’s not only facts that influence our individual and societal decision-making, but also values and social relations. Perhaps scientists do need to be trained in emotional literacy and in the use of framing, metaphors and narratives to more effectively communicate their science on an emotional level and reduce the power of those spreading misinformation. 



This online Great Debate outlines what makes people believe fake news and misinformation and the impact that this has. It discusses whether scientists should remain outside political initiatives to be perceived as trustworthy or if they should engage and if they should adapt their message depending on their audience. Where and how can scientists can find the time and energy to engage is also debated. 


Moderator: Hazel Gibson: EGU Communications Officer 



Panellists:
- Laura Smillie (@EU_ScienceHub @Enlightenment2): Policy Analyst, Joint Research Centre, EU Commission and Project Leader of the Enlightenment 2.0 initiative

- Stephan Lewandowsky (@STWorg): Chair in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Bristol with research focusing on misinformation, post-truth deception and climate change.


The slides from both presentations can be found: https://egu.eu/6TJOSU/ 



Additional resources:
Understanding our political nature: how to put knowledge and reason at the heart of policymaking: https://egu.eu/8OQ4DS/ 
Knowledge management for policy impact: the case of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre: https://egu.eu/875GJT/


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