A: Be kind. Be correct. Replace fiction with credible fact.
Your Nerdy Girls remain committed to providing tools for sleuthing out and slaying pandemic misinformation. Which is why we are so very delighted that a pair of powerhouse scientists, Dr. Carl Bergstrom and Dr. Jevin West, both at University of Washington, have recently published the tour-de-force book “Calling Bull$hit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World” (book website link below). We celebrate Drs. Bergstrom and West and other scientists working to make us smarter about misinformation, and offer up a few key take-aways from Calling Bull$hit and the related academic literature:
1. Kindness and humility are key
Nobody likes a public health scold 🙂. This Nerdy Girl (Lindsey) has learned this lesson the hard way (apologies to my long-suffering friends and family who always offer me much grace!). Empathy, curiosity, and openness to others’ (reasonable) views goes such a long way, and can strengthen instead of break social bonds. For a piece in the MIT Technology Review (cite below), journalist Tanya Basu interviewed disinformation experts and noted that “every single person I spoke to said that without respect, compassion, and empathy, no one will open their mind or heart to you.”
2. Do.your.homework.
Make sure you aren’t inadvertently replacing one myth with another. In the MIT article, psychologist and conspiracy theory expert Dr. Rob Brotherton notes that “conspiracy theories resonate with us all, to some extent.” The article goes on to explain that “It’s a defense mechanism: we’re primed to be suspicious and afraid of things that can’t be explained.” And it’s best to remember that “no one is above conspiracy theories – not even you.” So how do you sort the solid from the sensational? You can lean on Lindsey’s Laws! (cite below). For those new to the community, these include: (1) Demand extraordinary vetting for extraordinary claims; (2) Proactively seek out competing views; and (3) Remember that science is a method, not a fixed set of findings. Update your information-seeking prior to calling bull.
3. Use a fact-fallacy-fact approach (aka serve up a “truth sandwich”)
Calling Bull$hit showcases an impressively vast and fascinating array of scientific research on misinformation, including this total gem of a read: the “Debunking Handbook” by Australian academics John Cook and Stephan Lewandowsky (cite below). They advocate for an approach that focuses on the facts you want to communicate, giving them more air time than the junk. Using the fact-fallacy-fact approach (aka a “truth sandwich”) can help. As Dr. Joan Donovan, a disinformation expert at Harvard, advises “State what’s true, debunk the conspiracy theory, and state what’s true again.” *
In conclusion: We’ve got this, Dear Pandemic community. Together we will be beacons of scientific reason on social media!
Love,
Your Nerdy Girl Lindsey
References:
Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West. “Calling Bull$hit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World.” Penguin Random House. 2020. Book website (with TONS of great curricular resources)
MIT Technology Review piece by Tanya Basu, “How to Talk to Conspiracy Theorists – and Still Be Kind.” 2020.
First appearance of Lindsey’s Laws on Dear Pandemic
John Cook and Stephan Lewandowsky’s “Debunking Handbook.”
*Quoted in MIT piece above
