On science communication:
Today Elon Musk attacked Anthony Fauci. The post got at least 600,000 likes.
Whatever this means for #TwitterMigration (should be: let's leave!),
it also means many have been radicalized against Fauci and science and gov't. While many of us have been carrying about our business, rightwing media has been creating vast hate for science. Vast.
There's only one solution: FIGHT. (more below) /1
Lots of scientists and lots of people who get news from NYT and NPR and WaPo have their heads in the sand about this radicalization.
Here is the truth.
• Many Americans are now MAGA Republicans. (See: Walker GA-Senate, Lake AZ. 40%+ of voters.)
• MAGA Republicans HATE SCIENCE. And government. And Fauci. And NIH.
• This hate comes from rightwing media, which has spewed lies and division for years.
And #scicomm isn't going to solve this with milquetoast research. (more) /2
The National Academies of Science (US) has a Standing Committee on Science Communication.
One goal: "expand collaborations with researchers"... to bring evidence-based ways of communicating to do better science communication.
This is dangerously naive.
Again: "Prosecute Fauci", *six hundred thousand* likes on twitter.
#scicomm isn't mostly about better 'techniques'. It's largely today about fighting rightwing fascists and their media.
Fighting them. /3
And many US scientists are also head-in-the-sand about what is going on.
Many Americans, millions of Americans, HATE FAUCI. And hate government. And hate NIH.
This MAGA voter base wants to tear down government and funding for science. And the MAGA Congress is going to listen to their voters.
US #science is headed into a maelstrom. So far, science has shrunk from the fight. Tried to stay out of it.
But let's wake up. The other side is fighting. Us ignoring them won't work. /end
Also if you are upset about rightwing media poisoning Americans about science, and also about neutral mainstream media failing to sufficiently fight back and advocate for science, follow @MAD_democracy and join them.
@MAD_democracy
Also, some steps we can all take:
1. Talk about right-wing media with others. Pivot political conversations with rightwingers to discussing Murdoch and Fox and why they spread lies (to get votes for billionaires), including anti-vax lies.
2. Educate yourself and others about how rightwing media works and how it changes minds. Watch @BrainwashingDad movie. Get others to watch the movie.
I'm right there with you on the problem, but these all seem to come down to:
a) "Educating ourselves" with more evidence of things we already believe, and
b) having conversations with people, or writing to congresspeople, who are undecided; if such people exist, where do we find them?
Does anyone have any techniques that have actually been shown to move the needle? I mean, obviously "buying a bunch of media outlets" works, but who can afford that?
