The Influence of Reality TV on Misinformation

Vaccines, oil spills, genetic engineering, and stem cells—anywhere there’s science, there’s also misinformation. It muddies our ability to make good decisions, ranging from far-reaching ones like creating policy to simple ones like what to buy at the grocery store. Misinformation also undermines trust in scientific institutions and across society. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine tasked an expert committee with addressing misinformation. Their report,Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science, is out now. 

On this episode, hostMonya Baker is joined byAsheley Landrum, one of the authors of the report and an associate professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Landrum’s research focuses on science, communication, and media psychology. She discusses what exactly science misinformation is, how to tackle it, and the unexpected places it can arise. 

Resources: 

• Learn more about science misinformation by reading the full National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science.
• ReadIssues’ collection of articles about “Navigating a Polluted Information System.”
• Check out thePsychology of Misinformation special issue to learn more about misinformation in different domains, including Landrum’s research on “Entertainment media as a source of relationship misinformation.”
• VisitAsheley Landrum’s website to learn more about her work.