Half of Spanish scientists are insulted or harassed after appearing in the media

The survey, which is led by the scientific direction of the Gureiker research group at the University of the Basque Country (UPV), indicates that insults and questioning of professional capacity and integrity are the most repeated attacks. They are especially prevalent on social network X, followed by comments on online media and platforms. The topics that provoke the most hateful reactions: Covid-19 and climate change.

The SMC Spain survey is inspired by similar ones carried out by the magazines ‘Nature’, in 2021, and ‘Science’, in 2022. Its results “put the focus on the negative experiences of research personnel in the media during the pandemic and they launched initiatives to respond to harassment,” recalls Pampa García Molina, coordinator of the organization. “The topic is relevant, even more so to avoid misinformation and the need for expert sources to participate when preparing the news,” he points out.

The study is based on 237 surveys completed by experts from the SMC database – 17% of those consulted – between June and July of this year. The participants belong to universities and research centers, the majority with more than 20 years of experience, with parity between men and women. Specialists in biomedicine and environmental sciences stand out. “A high percentage of people who talk about topics such as Covid, vaccines, epidemiology, the environment and climate change have gone through bad experiences, but they are also the issues most discussed in the media,” points out Maider Eizmendi Iraola. , scientific director of labor.

All in all, more than 80% of scientists have a good perception of their participation in the media. What they value most is the possibility of making their research visible and getting their message across, and their greatest fear, that it will be distorted. They prefer the news media to opinion gatherings, and with respect to social networks, they choose X with a significant difference – 30% use it daily – compared to others such as Facebook or YouTube.

Women are, with more than ten percentage points of difference, those who have suffered more negative experiences. “Gender stereotypes operate,” says Eizmendi. They endure more comments about their physical appearance and professional ability, which are assumed to be the case with men. “Their professional integrity is attacked,” accusing them, for example, of falsifying their results to favor certain interests.

Anxiety and insecurity

Hate comments, the vast majority anonymous – few come from other colleagues – influence the well-being of scientists. Almost a quarter claim that the attacks have not affected them, “but the percentage of those who report anxiety, personal insecurity and other psychological problems is significant, especially among women,” says the Gureiker researcher. In these cases, on social networks they choose to block accounts, report bad behavior, make their profiles private, or simply not read the comments. 16.5% decide to stop reporting in the media and very few ask their employers for help. As in many cases the dissemination work is voluntary, “they do not go to their institutions and it is a reality that remains hidden.”

To avoid these harassment situations, respondents request training from institutions on science communication, protection mechanisms and greater involvement to reduce, as far as possible, this problem.