European academy calls for continent-wide effort to combat disinformation on science
Report makes recommendations on how scientists can combat anti-vaccine sentiment and climate change denial and other misinformation
A coordinated European network for science communication is needed to fight back against the deliberate spread of false information, according to the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities ALLEA. It also suggests a European code of conduct to govern the network.
As highlighted by the ongoing pandemic, undermining trust in science poses a fundamental threat to political and individual decisions based on evidence and scientific knowledge, ALLEA’s report states. ‘The science race against Covid-19 has not only been in the search for a vaccine,’ says ALLEA president Antonio Loprieno. ‘Another major risk has mobilised researchers: science disinformation. Seeing these problems unfolding in our societies, we need an institutionalised and coordinated strategy to galvanise researchers, communicators, and policymakers into action as early as possible.’