Parallel Session 2: Combatting Fake News
Tuesday 9 April 14:45 - 16:30
In many ways public engagement with science is at an all time high, at least on the basis of media coverage, visits to science centres, and participation in citizen science programmes. At the same time the democracy of the Internet age risks giving equal validity to reputable and disreputable sources, making it difficult for even seasoned commentators to assess evidence. In this overview I will discuss the challenge this offers science communicators, not least those of us dealing with the old and new media, and how we can also try to make the case for science, and scientific evidence, to policymakers across Europe.
Our work at the Royal Astronomical Society provides some great examples of where we got this right - and where we got this wrong - and I will shape the discussion with an unabashed presentation of these case studies.
