The fifth webinar in the #EcsiteOnline series took place on 10 June 2020 and dealt with misinformation around and beyond the Covid crisis.

On social media, stories can spread like wildfire: from doubts about climate science to anti-vaccine propaganda and, more recently, conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic. The influence of misinformation poses a clear threat, not only to public trust in science, but to our democracy. The necessity for science engagement is clearer than ever. Science centres and museums have been working together on what approach we need to take, going beyond fact-checking to playing an active role in tackling this phenomenon. This webinar builds on Ecsite's work on the topic, opening up the conversation to the whole network.

To take a stand against misinformation we have to get to grips with the research on why the human brain is so susceptible to it. What do researchers see is going on cognitively when we are exposed to misinformation and how can we engage our audiences in the science behind it? It's also crucial to explore the sociological factors at play. How is misinformation produced and circulated, how does it spread through online communities and the media and what are the effects on public perceptions of science and scientists? 

Curated and convened by Michael Creek, co-founder, Stickydot (Brussels, Belgium)

Session speakers:

Andrea Frantz-Pittner, Director, NaturErlebnisPark (Graz, Austria)
Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair in Cognitive Psychology, Cabot Institute for the Environment, University of Bristol (Bristol, UK)
Catherine Oualian, Trainer, Ecole de la Médiation, Universcience (Paris, France) 
Brian Southwell, Senior Director, Science in the Public Sphere, RTI International (North Carolina, USA)