Fighting Misinformation as a Magazine Editor

Misinformation is one of the greatest risks facing society, affecting everything from elections to public health to technology and more. As an editor at a major science magazine, I have an opportunity and a responsibility to correct the record on scientific issues that affect people’s everyday lives. We have to be clear and frank with readers about the evidence we have for the information we’re sharing, and cognizant of biases and suspicions our audience might have. We also need to be transparent when we make mistakes. I’ll talk about what science says about how misinformation spreads and why people are so likely to believe it, as well as about how we combat it at Scientific American. I’ll also discuss what researchers can do to fight the problem and get their real scientific findings out to the public—including how best to pitch editors and be effective communicators through the media.