Science journo, mainly @NewsfromScience, writing about places where the scientific rubber hits the road. Opinions all mine & mostly offline. 🇿🇦 🏴
Oct 27, 2022 • 15 tweets • 3 min read
I often talk to scientists who have no/limited/terrible experience with journalists, so I wanted to write a quick thread pulling back the curtain a little.
Here's why I'm always happy to talk confidentially, and why I'd encourage you to reach out to me with even a tiny tip:
What you read in a story like this one is the tip of the iceberg. I quote maybe 10% of the people I speak to. There are rumours I can't substantiate enough to include. I have to make hard decisions about what to cut.
Collecting the data and stories that made up this story has been harrowing. But it's crucial that we understand not just who is facing public abuse, and what forms that abuse takes – we also need to understand why it's happening. science.org/content/articl…
The abuse that scientists are facing is part of a broader pattern targeting critical players for a functional society: scientists, journalists, election officials, civil servants, and others, @sobieraj told me. And its effect on public institutions and democracy is corrosive.
