Thanks to @ScienceWriters for awarding me a travel fellowship for #SciWri2018. I'll be live tweeting the plenary this morning.
@ScienceWriters The plenary is structured like a debate. The question: Are science writers responsible for building public trust in science?
@ScienceWriters If you're lost this is where we are: goo.gl/maps/GEMfTqn5Z…
The building looks like this.
The building looks like this.
@ScienceWriters You can submit questions to debaters using #SciDebate.
@ScienceWriters Moderator just asked audience to stand if they think science writers are responsible for building public trust. Looks like 60-70 percent of audience thinks that's true.
@ScienceWriters On "Science writers are responsible for building public trust" side: @rick_weiss and Louise Lief (@sciandmedia)
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @rrichardh arguing against: Science is a human endeavor and sometimes we need to report bad things.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @rrichardh: Responsibility is to tell people what's going on, not to be a cheerleader for the scientific enterprise.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs He points out that PIOs and journalists often have different missions.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs Louise Lief (@sciandmedia) arguing that science writers are responsible for building public trust.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @sciandmedia: Science writers and PIOs are a bridge between science and public.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @sciandmedia: Science writers job isn't to hide the problem, but they should support the systematic process of science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @NidhiSubs (against): Science funded and therefore influence by politicians. Science writers role is to inform, not build public trust.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @NidhiSubs: Sometimes science writers have to write stories that are bad press for science, but that can lead to justice.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @NidhiSubs: We can't cheerlead. We must report fiercely and fairly.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @sciandmedia: There are examples of individual scientists who do bad science, but it's important to build trust in the process of science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia Q: Do demonstrations by scientists hurt or help public trust?
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @sciandmedia: marches/demonstrations by scientists are interesting but it's more important to engage public. That's what's going to strengthen science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss: It's dangerous for scientists to enter the fray. Got to be careful when entering the fight. Scientists have to think about their reputations, too.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rrichardh: It's hard to convince people that science is a good way to learn about the world.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rrichardh: Instead of trying to change peoples' opinions about science (e.g. Climate change is real) maybe we should be trying to look for solutions (e.g. How do we deal with sea level rise?).
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rick_weiss: Giving up because it's hard to change peoples' minds is timid. We have a responsibility to fight for truth.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rick_weiss: We need to look for new strategies to communicate science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Q from Twitter: Science is being used to support propaganda. How can science writers build public trust if science itself is being used for propaganda?
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NidhiSubs: When people use bad science for propaganda science writers have to point that out.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rick_weiss: Scientists aren't doing science because they want $$$ from congress. They want to learn about the world.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Taking Qs from mics at the front of the room.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rrichardh: The public trusts scientists more than journalists so maybe they should do the work of building public trust.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Q: Do you think that getting people to trust journalism you're also helping people trust science?
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @sciandmedia: Building trust in journalists will help build trust in science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Q from audience: When we give the public a picture of how science actually works does it build trust in public science? Lots of science stories are mostly gee whiz stories.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Q: If science writers are supposed to build trust in science what are writer supposed to do when there are stories that will diminish trust in science?
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NidhiSubs: It's our job to report what happens. If that diminishes trust then "so be it"
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Q: Showing the warts in science increases trust in science? Reporting on watergate did not increase trust in government.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rrichardh: In the long run it's important for science to recognize its own flaws.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rrichardh: Anti vaxers think they're basing their opinion on science, but they picked bad science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Two more Qs left. What if the motion was: "Political writers are responsible for building public trust in democracy."
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rrichardh: Are sports writers responsible for building trust in sports? If you don't think that's true then we're right.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rick_weiss: That's not a good parallel because democracy isn't about absolute truth. Science is about truth.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rick_weiss: Science is about getting at the truth.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss Q: Are business reporters responsible for building trust in business and commerce?
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @sciandmedia: Making building public trust part of your job description will help move the world forward.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rick_weiss: Enhancing public understanding of science requires all hands on deck.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @rick_weiss: Don't be fooled by the smooth voice of @NPRs @rrichardh
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @rick_weiss: Stand up for evidence. Do your job.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @NidhiSubs: Public needs to understand the enterprise in full, including the bad parts. That role is especially important today. Need to empower people to make up their own minds.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @rrichardh: Sports reporters are not building public trust in sports. Science writers don't need to build public trust in science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS Far fewer people saying that science writers are responsible for building public trust in science compared to initial vote.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS Looks like most of the room is against the motion: "Science writers are responsible for building public trust in science."
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @rick_weiss: If it's hard to convince peoples' minds science writers have to find new ways to do that. We can't give up because it's hard.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @rrichardh: @realDonaldTrump doesn't change our job. It's always been journalists' job to report what's happening. It's increasingly our responsibility to report when policies go against good science.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @realDonaldTrump One minute to final vote results.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @realDonaldTrump @rrichardh: Most of us came into science writing because there's cool stuff going on. Personal drives are separate from our responsibility as journalists.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @realDonaldTrump Moderator: The word responsible is the key word in this motion.
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @realDonaldTrump @sciandmedia: Is it journalists' job to build trust in journalism?
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @realDonaldTrump Drumroll please.........
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @realDonaldTrump "No" wins the debate
@ScienceWriters @rrichardh @NidhiSubs @sciandmedia @rick_weiss @NPRS @realDonaldTrump The audience at #sciwri18 doesn't think that it's science writers job to build public trust in science.
