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How To Share Science In A World Of Fake News

A recent science headline that's generated a lot of discussion: The first image of a black hole by the Event Horizon Telescope. The object M87* is located at the heart of distant galaxy Messier 87.
A recent science headline that's generated a lot of discussion: The first image of a black hole by the Event Horizon Telescope. The object M87* is located at the heart of distant galaxy Messier 87.

The rallying cry of fake news has seeped into the world of science. Some politicians and pundits — like Donald Trump — call climate change a hoax, and a number of individuals loudly oppose the evidence behind vaccines.Host Frank Stasio speaks with University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Dietram Scheufele about the science of communication.

Dietram Scheufele studies the science of science communication and researches public attitudes and policy dynamics regarding science. He is a professor in science communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Scheufele joins host Frank Stasio to talk about why people are misinformed about science, how scientists can better communicate their findings to the public, and about the larger conversations around scientific breakthroughs, like gene editing.

Scheufele will be at the Science And Society Classroom in the North Building on Duke University’s campus in Durham on Thursday, April 18 at noon. The event is called “Studying the Science of Science Communication in the Era of Social Media, Fake News and Short Attention Spans.” Registration is full at the free event, but it will be live-streamed.

Copyright 2019 North Carolina Public Radio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
Amanda Magnus grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore. She became interested in radio after an elective course in the NYU journalism department. She got her start at Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but she knew public radio was for her when she interned at WNYC. She later moved to Madison, where she worked at Wisconsin Public Radio for six years. In her time there, she helped create an afternoon drive news magazine show, called Central Time. She also produced several series, including one on Native American life in Wisconsin. She spends her free time running, hiking, and roller skating. She also loves scary movies.