What Gets in the Way: Examining Disordered Science Communication

Abstract

Science is all about process. It strives to determine scientific truth systematically with distinct steps and levels required for proof. The process of science, however, extends beyond the scientists themselves and involves the dissemination, reception, and application of scientific information. In democracies such as the United States, communicating science involves many moving parts: scientists, news media, and the public. But this process can go awry, confounded by human errors and biases. This paper addresses how the flow of information from scientists to journalists to the public is muddled by each party, particularly focusing on biases, readability and science literacy, availability of scientific information, under-coverage, and human cognitive processing models. Accompanying this essay is a video showcasing footage from semi-structured interviews with scientific researchers and journalists concerning their opinions on the state of science communication today. This examination also includes recommendations for combatting problems within the science communication environment and creating a more scientifically informed community. Finally, it includes a proposal for future research on how stakeholders in scientific communication interact to improve the way scientific discoveries are shared with the public.