Abstract
This article explores the challenges and dilemmas the current scenario of communicative abundance poses to experts and scientists that are willing to influence policy-making (or that are dragged to arenas of political debates). It identifies eight contemporary challenges worth noting: (1) dissemination of disinformation; (2) scepticism towards science and experts; (3) multiplication of voices with public resonance; (4) volume and (in)accessibility of data; (5) polarisation and fragmentation of publics; (6) algorithmic distribution of communication; (7) grammars of current public communication; and (8) a complex interplay between visible and invisible discursive arenas. It, then, discusses the strategies used by scientists to deal with these challenges in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic. It does so through a series of illustrations drawn from visible scientists acting in the Brazilian public sphere. Despite the fact that novel strategies and innovative adaptions are noticed, the article also points to the resilience of top-down forms of communication.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
4 https://rncd.org. At the time of writing this paper, the network was attacked by hackers, and the site was hijacked.
8 Interview available at: https://noticias.uol.com.br/saude/ultimas-noticias/redacao/2021/01/26/medico-que-respondeu-fake-news-de-vacina-com-palavrao-acabou-a-paciencia.htm
9 Video available here: https://twitter.com/podcastmid/status/1361834912123408385
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Ricardo Fabrino Mendonça
Ricardo Fabrino Mendonça (corresponding author) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He is a researcher at MARGEM — Research Group on Democracy and Justice, and at the Brazilian National Institute for Digital Democracy (INCT.DD), holding a CNPq and a Fapemig fellowships. Email: [email protected]
Yurij Castelfranchi
Yurij Castelfranchi is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Federal University of Minas Gerais and researcher of the National Institute for the Public Communication of Science and Technology (INCT-CPCT). He coordinates InCiTe, a research group on Innovation, Citizenship and Technoscience and Amerek, post-graduate course in science communication.