Truth in Crisis: Navigating the Intersections of Scientific Discourse and Misinformation

At a time when scientific knowledge faces challenges ranging from coordinated misinformation campaigns to erosion of institutional trust, understanding the dynamics of information distortion and its impact on public discourse has become a crucial consideration in global development and governance. Join us for a compelling discussion examining the challenges posed by misinformation in the scientific sphere where key topics will include:

• The role of social media algorithms and their corresponding digital ecosystems in amplifying false narratives.
• The impact of politicized scientific communication on sectors such as public health (e.g., the COVID pandemic) and environmental policy (e.g., the ongoing effects of climate change).
• Practical strategies for rebuilding trust between scientific communities and the public.

Speakers:

Mariana Díaz García, Associate Programme Officer at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)

Joan Donovan, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University

Christopher Reddy, Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) 

Moderator:

Jana M. Perkins, Computational Social Scientist & PhD in Information Science at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign; Founder, Women of Letters

Please RSVP here. Lunch will be provided. 

Contact Kate Danahy at kdanahy@mit.edu with any questions. 

This event is part of the CIS Global Research & Policy Seminar Series. Join our mailing list here to learn about upcoming seminars in the series.