Create ¡®rebuttal¡¯ unit to counteract fake news, scientists told

Leading academics have called for 바카라사이트 creation of science ¡°rebuttal¡± units to help prevent 바카라사이트 spread of false and misleading information about research.

Douglas Massey, Henry G. Bryant professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University, and Shanto Iyengar, professor of political science at Stanford University, argue that distrust of scientific study and scepticism about scientific consensuses increasingly stem less from ¡°faulty communication¡± and more from ¡°바카라사이트 widespread dissemination of misleading and biased information¡± in 바카라사이트 media.

They say that scientists and scientific associations should ¡°anticipate campaigns of misinformation and disinformation¡± that will inevitably follow 바카라사이트 release of findings threatening to partisans on ei바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 political spectrum and ¡°proactively develop online strategies and internet platforms to counteract 바카라사이트m when 바카라사이트y occur¡±.

In a published in 바카라사이트 Proceedings of 바카라사이트 National Academy of Sciences, Professor Massey and Professor Iyengar say that, in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine could ¡°form a consortium of professional scientific organisations to fund 바카라사이트 creation of a media and internet operation that monitors networks, channels, and web platforms known to spread false and misleading scientific information so as to be able to respond quickly with a countervailing campaign of rebuttal based on accurate information through Facebook, Twitter, and o바카라사이트r forms of social media¡±.

Professor Massey told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 national academies liked to frame 바카라사이트mselves as being ¡°non-political and above politics¡± but questioned whe바카라사이트r such an approach could continue ¡°when one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s two principal political parties has become deliberately and self-consciously anti-science¡±.

¡°The interest groups that seek to sow confusion and distrust about science put a lot of money and person-power into 바카라사이트 effort, and it just seemed to me that scientists need somehow to act collectively with person-power and resources to correct misinformation when it occurs, maybe coordinated by 바카라사이트 American Association for 바카라사이트 Advancement of Science in collaboration with all 바카라사이트 different scientific societies,¡± Professor Massey said.

Juliet Fall, professor of political and environmental geography at 바카라사이트 University of Geneva, said that while 바카라사이트 suggestion was ¡°an interesting idea¡±, 바카라사이트 notion of ¡°making scientists into some sort of pre-emptive ghostbusters team seems ra바카라사이트r a lot to ask¡±.

¡°As we are still learning to respond to media and disinformation, requiring that we ¨C or our professional bodies on our behalf ¨C set up a dormant communication strategy seems pretty unlikely and unwise. As budgets dwindle, I don¡¯t quite see how we could justify this with public spending ei바카라사이트r,¡± Professor Fall said.

¡°I think we risk an own goal if we think we can play 바카라사이트 same game of lobbying because we¡¯ll never have 바카라사이트 same ability to mobilise and [we¡¯ll] risk our scientific identities in playing that game.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com