Misinformation in the time of COVID
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic was declared, governments, public health leaders and scientists around the world have had to deal with not only a terrible virus, but an ‘infodemic' of misinformation...
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Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic was declared, governments, public health leaders and scientists around the world have had to deal with not only a terrible virus, but an ‘infodemic' of misinformation. Throughout the pandemic we’ve seen dubious information about cures and vaccines, and dodgy information about the origins of the virus spreading around the world, leading to worse decision making and lives lost. In this talk Dr Will Grant explores some of the contours of misinformation during the pandemic, and what we as science communicators might do about it.
About the speaker
Dr Will Grant is Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at ANU. Awarded for his public policy and outreach work, Will has authored or co-authored dozens of works in various scholarly outlets (including Public Understanding of Science, Environmental Communication, Computers in Human Behaviour, Scientometrics and Higher Education Policy), and written many commissioned and pitched articles and opinion pieces in high impact public facing outlets (including The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Conversation, Times Higher Education, The Canberra Times, The Brisbane Times, Crikey, The Drum, Climate Spectator and ABC Environment). Most of his writing has focused on the interaction of science, politics and technology. He is co-founder of the researcher employment service PostAc.
Will is regularly heard on Radio National discussing science for Research Filter and Nightlife, as well as podcasting in The Wholesome Show G'day Patriots, both of which have charted in the Australian iTunes top 50. Will has held science communication workshops for a range of Australia's leading science organisations, including Universities Australia, Science and Technology Australia and the Australian Academy of Science, as well has various universities and research institutes, government departments and scientific societies around the country. He tweets at @willozap.
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