Al Jazeera Journalism Review

Outside image
March for Science protesters march in Paris, France on April 22, 2017 in protest against Donald Trump’s rejection of science, climate change, global warming and the rise of misinformation [John van Hasselt/Corbis via Getty Images]

Has the media enabled a new age of scientific misinformation?

Social media and complex AI newsroom tools are combining to produce a toxic environment in which dangerous misinformation is flourishing

 

Two decades ago, science researchers and journalists would receive hard copies of professional journals and browse through them regularly to keep up with developments and the latest science news.

These days, anyone interested in science can find articles online using search engines and social media. The result has been a worrying rise in misinformation, which can so easily be disseminated via click-bait “news” stories on a multitude of platforms.

Last November, the annual science conference organised by the Falling Walls Science Foundation in Berlin, Germany, took place. The conference, which is organised each year on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, is attended by researchers and scientists from around the world.

The three-day programme for 2022 included inspiring keynotes, discussions and a lot more on topics related to science, its communities and the opportunities connected to science and society. But this time the conference expanded its scope beyond just science and also addressed the issue of misinformation and journalism, with particular focus on how misinformation can impact science reporting in just the same way it does any regular news issue. Participants from 80 countries were present and acknowledged the fact that misformation can create huge challenges/barriers for science journalism.

The internet has changed the way we consume media. Some of us still read the morning paper at the breakfast table, but more receive the majority of their information from the internet. Many more people consume news online through social media or online news sites than in print form, especially younger readers. Meanwhile, mainstream news organisations which do remain popular for print and broadcast news are becoming more and more partisan as traditional, independent funding sources dry up.

In the current era, misinformation undermines collective sense making and collective action. Therefore, we cannot solve problems of public health, social inequity, or climate change without also addressing the growing problem of misinformation. 

The new trend for AI tools in newsrooms also poses a danger. “I do indeed see a danger for scientific communication to society through new generative AI procedures, such as ChatGPT by OpenAI or the now discontinued Galactica model by Meta,” says Dr Bittkowski Meik from Science Media Center Germany, who was part of the discussion about the misinformation and disinformation and its impact on science at the summit in November.

“Specifically, the danger is that these models, or their near successors, will allow the creation of almost arbitrarily extensive make-believe worlds of scientific ‘bullsh*t’ (which looks like science but has no relation to scientific truths) with falling marginal costs. 

“This allows for more complex and credible disinformation campaigns that can point to a completely fabricated landscape of ‘science’. This would make it almost impossible for lay people to distinguish real from fake science. It would also be much more taxing for journalists to expose disinformation,” Dr Meik adds.

A research paper, ‘Misinformation in and about science’, published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), highlights that during a crisis, science can often be forced into the media spotlight.

Science misinfo
A protester holds up a sign claiming that the COVID-19 virus was 'lab made' during a rally to protest lockdowns on April 25, 2020 in Toronto, Canada [Shutterstock]

The paper explains how misinformation is dangerous for science and takes the recent example of COVID-19 to illustrate. 

“There is no credible evidence that SARS-CoV-2 responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic has a bioengineered origin, but a series of pre-prints has pushed false narratives along these lines. One such paper, posted to bioRxiv, was quickly refuted by bioinformaticians and formally withdrawn - but in the interim, the paper received extensive media attention. 

“If preprint servers try to vet the material, authors find other outlets. A two-page note - not even a research paper - claimed that SARS-CoV-2 is an escaped bioweapon and was posted to the academic social media platform ResearchGate. Though quickly deleted from the site, this document took off, particularly within conspiracy circles. A deeply flawed paper making similar arguments was posted online,” the authors write.

The news media has written a lot about fake news and other forms of misinformation, but scholars are still trying to understand it - for example, how it travels and why some people believe it and even seek it out.

Denise-Marie Ordway, managing editor of Journalist's Resource at the Harvard Kennedy School, wrote an article for Harvard Business Review explaining what researchers know to date about the amount of misinformation people consume, why they believe it and the best ways to fight it but the problem is not going to end anytime soon. 

Caroline Lindekamp, associated with correctiv, a German nonprofit investigative journalism newsroom, is in charge of the interdisciplinary research project, noFake. She stated during the Falling Walls Summit that disinformation is the biggest threat to science. 

“The most problematic issue that we are facing today is disinformation because it is deliberately manipulated information that is spread by various channels and is often linked to conspiracy theories and is usually intended or used to set a particular agenda.” 

As another participant at the summit added: “Misinformation can be very difficult to correct and may have lasting effects even after it is discredited. One reason for this persistence is the manner in which people make causal inferences based on available information about a given event or outcome. As a result, false information may continue to influence beliefs and attitudes even after being debunked if it is not replaced by an alternate causal explanation.” 

We must find a solution to the problem of misinformation in science news before it is too late.

Safina Nabi is a freelance journalist covering South Asia

 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera Journalism Review’s editorial stance

 

 

More Articles

How Does Misinformation Undermine Public Trust in Journalism?

Reports reveal a growing loss of trust in the media, driven by the extent of misinformation that undermines professional journalism's ability to influence public discourse. The platforms of misinformation, now supported by states and private entities during conflicts and wars, threaten to strip the profession of its core roles of accountability and oversight.

Muhammad Khamaiseh 1
Muhammad Khamaiseh Published on: 13 Nov, 2024
Challenging the Narrative: Jeremy Scahill on the Need for Adversarial Journalism

Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill calls for a revival of "adversarial journalism" to reinstate crucial professional and humanitarian values in mainstream Western media, especially regarding the coverage of the Gaza genocide.

Mohammad Zeidan
Mohammad Zeidan Published on: 10 Nov, 2024
Freedom of the Press in Jordan and Unconstitutional Interpretations

Since the approval of the Cybercrime Law in Jordan, freedom of opinion and expression has entered a troubling phase marked by the arrest of journalists and restrictions on media. Musab Shawabkeh offers a constitutional reading based on interpretations and rulings that uphold freedom of expression in a context where the country needs diverse opinions in the face of the Israeli ultra right wing politics.

Musab Shawabkeh
Musab Al Shawabkeh Published on: 8 Nov, 2024
Voting in a Time of Genocide

The upcoming U.S. presidential election occurs against the backdrop of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, with AJ Plus prioritising marginalised voices and critically analysing Western mainstream media narratives while highlighting the undemocratic aspects of the U.S. electoral system.

Tony Karon Published on: 22 Oct, 2024
Journalists Should Not Embrace the Artificial Intelligence Hype

What factors should journalists take into account while discussing the use of AI in the media?

Jorge Sagastume Muralles
Jorge Sagastume Published on: 16 Oct, 2024
A Year of Genocide and Bias: Western Media's Whitewashing of Israel's Ongoing War on Gaza

Major Western media outlets continue to prove that they are a party in the war of narratives, siding with the Israeli occupation. The article explains how these major Western media outlets are still refining their techniques of bias in favor of the occupation, even a year after the genocide in Palestine.

Mohammad Zeidan
Mohammad Zeidan Published on: 9 Oct, 2024
A Half-Truth is a Full Lie

Misinformation is rampant in modern conflicts, worsened by the internet and social media, where false news spreads easily. While news agencies aim to provide unbiased, fact-based reporting, their focus on brevity and hard facts often lacks the necessary context, leaving the public vulnerable to manipulation and unable to fully grasp the complexities of these issues.

Ilya
Ilya U Topper Published on: 30 Sep, 2024
Testimonies of the First Witness of the Sabra & Shatila Massacre

The Sabra and Shatila massacre in 1982 saw over 3,000 unarmed Palestinian refugees brutally killed by Phalangist militias under the facilitation of Israeli forces. As the first journalist to enter the camps, Japanese journalist Ryuichi Hirokawa provides a harrowing first-hand account of the atrocity amid a media blackout. His testimony highlights the power of bearing witness to a war crime and contrasts the past Israeli public outcry with today’s silence over the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Mei Shigenobu مي شيغينوبو
Mei Shigenobu Published on: 18 Sep, 2024
Anonymous Sources in the New York Times... Covering the War with One Eye

The use of anonymous sources in journalism is considered, within professional and ethical standards, a “last option” for journalists. However, analysis of New York Times data reveals a persistent pattern in the use of “anonymity” to support specific narratives, especially Israeli narratives.

Mohammad Zeidan
Mohammad Zeidan Published on: 8 Sep, 2024
India and Pakistan; Journalists building Bridges for Understanding

Amid decades of tension, journalists from India and Pakistan are uniting to combat hostile narratives and highlight shared challenges. Through collaboration, they’re fostering understanding on pressing issues like climate change and healthcare, proving that empathy can transcend borders. Discover how initiatives like the Journalists' Exchange Programme are paving the way for peace journalism and a more nuanced narrative.

Safina
Safina Nabi Published on: 12 Aug, 2024
From TV Screens to YouTube: The Rise of Exiled Journalists in Pakistan

Pakistani journalists are leveraging YouTube to overcome censorship, connecting with global audiences, and redefining independent reporting in their homeland.

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 28 Jul, 2024
How AI Synthesised Media Shapes Voter Perception: India's Case in Point

The recent Indian elections witnessed the unprecedented use of generative AI, leading to a surge in misinformation and deepfakes. Political parties leveraged AI to create digital avatars of deceased leaders, Bollywood actors

Suvrat Arora
Suvrat Arora Published on: 12 Jun, 2024
The Rise of Podcasting: How Digital Audio Is Revolutionising Journalism

In this age of digital transformation and media convergence, podcasts stand out as a testament to the enduring power of journalism—a medium that transcends borders, sparks conversations, and brings the world closer together.

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 6 Jun, 2024
Under Fire: The Perilous Reality for Journalists in Gaza's War Zone

Journalists lack safety equipment and legal protection, highlighting the challenges faced by journalists in Gaza. While Israel denies responsibility for targeting journalists, the lack of international intervention leaves journalists in Gaza exposed to daily danger.

Linda Shalash
Linda Shalash Published on: 9 May, 2024
Your Words Are Your Weapon — You Are a Soldier in a Propaganda War

Narrative warfare and the role of journalists in it is immense; the context of the conflict, the battleground has shifted to the realm of narratives, where journalists play a decisive role in shaping the narrative.

Ilya
Ilya U Topper Published on: 21 Apr, 2024
The Privilege and Burden of Conflict Reporting in Nigeria: Navigating the Emotional Toll

The internal struggle and moral dilemmas faced by a conflict reporter, as they grapple with the overwhelming nature of the tragedies they witness and the sense of helplessness in the face of such immense suffering. It ultimately underscores the vital role of conflict journalism in preserving historical memory and giving a voice to the voiceless.

Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu
Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu Published on: 17 Apr, 2024
Journalism in chains in Cameroon

Investigative journalists in Cameroon sometimes use treacherous means to navigate the numerous challenges that hamper the practice of their profession: the absence of the Freedom of Information Act, the criminalisation of press offenses, and the scare of the overly-broad anti-terrorism law.

Nalova Akua
Nalova Akua Published on: 12 Apr, 2024
The Perils of Journalism and the Rise of Citizen Media in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia's media landscape is grim, with low rankings for internet and press freedom across the region. While citizen journalism has risen to fill the gaps, journalists - both professional and citizen - face significant risks due to government crackdowns and the collusion between tech companies and authorities to enable censorship and surveillance.

AJR Contributor Published on: 6 Apr, 2024
Orientalism, Imperialism and The Western Coverage of Palestine

Western mainstream media biases and defence of the Israeli narrative are connected to orientalism, racism, and imperialism, serving the interests of Western ruling political and economic elites. However, it is being challenged by global movements aiming to shed light on the realities of the conflict and express solidarity with the Palestinian population.

Joseph Daher
Joseph Daher Published on: 1 Apr, 2024
Ethical Dilemmas of Photo Editing in Media: Lessons from Kate Middleton’s Photo Controversy

Photoshop—an intelligent digital tool celebrated for enhancing the visual appearance of photographs—is a double-edged sword. While it has the power to transform and refine images, it also skillfully blurs the line between reality and fiction, challenging the legitimacy of journalistic integrity and the credibility of news media.

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 26 Mar, 2024
Breaking Barriers: The Rise of Citizen Journalists in India's Fight for Media Inclusion

Grassroots journalists from marginalized communities in India, including Dalits and Muslims, are challenging mainstream media narratives and bringing attention to underreported issues through digital outlets like The Mooknayak.

Hanan Zaffa
Hanan Zaffar, Jyoti Thakur Published on: 3 Mar, 2024
Silenced Voices and Digital Resilience: The Case of Quds Network

Unrecognized journalists in conflict zones face serious risks to their safety and lack of support. The Quds Network, a Palestinian media outlet, has been targeted and censored, but they continue to report on the ground in Gaza. Recognition and support for independent journalists are crucial.

Yousef Abu Watfe يوسف أبو وطفة
Yousef Abu Watfeh Published on: 21 Feb, 2024
Artificial Intelligence's Potentials and Challenges in the African Media Landscape

How has the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence impacted newsroom operations, job security and regulation in the African media landscape? And how are journalists in Africa adapting to these changes?

Derick Matsengarwodzi
Derick Matsengarwodzi Published on: 18 Feb, 2024
Media Monopoly in Brazil: How Dominant Media Houses Control the Narrative and Stifle Criticism of Israel

An in-depth analysis exploring the concentration of media ownership in Brazil by large companies, and how this shapes public and political narratives, particularly by suppressing criticism of Israel.