Scientists working across government should be allowed and
encouraged to take on a wider public facing role in the media to
combat the spread of misinformation, a report from MPs says
today.
The trusted voices report from the Culture, Media and
Sport Committee follows an inquiry into the role of the
media, Government and public institutions in acting as and
supporting authoritative and trusted sources of information.
The Committee highlights concerns about the shortcomings of
Government communications during the Covid-19 pandemic and calls
on Ministers to conduct a full evaluation to ensure lessons are
properly learnt.
The report says the Government should allow its scientists to
respond directly to the media, highlighting the critical role the
Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer played in
engaging publicly on issues of national concern, and be more
proactive in publishing evidence used in policy making.
The report also recommends that the Government publishes advice
for departments and public bodies on how to communicate with
young people using new apps and platforms, including consistent
advice on TikTok, and to come up with a plan for improving
GOV.UK, with some users lost and overwhelmed by the website.
A key strand of the inquiry looked at the role of the National
Academies, which represent the UK's science, arts, engineering
and medical research communities, in ensuring the public has easy
access to good quality information.
While the Committee was provided with some excellent examples of
public engagement by the National Academies, the report concludes
that their strategic aims remain unclear. The Government should
therefore review their role in providing public information and
publish their objectives.
Dame MP, Chair of the CMS
Committee, said: “With the spread of misinformation on
social media remaining a very real problem, it's more important
than ever that communities across the country have access to
accurate and authoritative information that it is communicated in
an open and relatable way.
There are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic where scientists
played a critical role in communications. The Government is
missing a trick in not giving them a larger public role in the
battle to counter misinformation.
There also needs to be more clarity over the role in public
debate of our National Academies. Until the Government
establishes clear aims, it is hard to judge how effectively they
are engaging with the public and whether they are providing value
for money in this role.”
