Article ID: CBB187785214

How to Beat Science and Influence People: Policymakers and Propaganda in Epistemic Networks (2020)

unapi

In their recent book, Oreskes and Conway ([2010]) describe the ‘tobacco strategy’, which was used by the tobacco industry to influence policymakers regarding the health risks of tobacco products. The strategy involved two parts, consisting of (i) promoting and sharing independent research supporting the industry’s preferred position and (ii) funding additional research, but selectively publishing the results. We introduce a model of the tobacco strategy, and use it to argue that both prongs of the strategy can be extremely effective—even when policymakers rationally update on all evidence available to them. As we elaborate, this model helps illustrate the conditions under which the tobacco strategy is particularly successful. In addition, we show how journalists engaged in ‘fair’ reporting can inadvertently mimic the effects of industry on public belief. 1.  Introduction2.  Epistemic Network Models3.  Selective Sharing4.  Biased Production5.  Journalists as Unwitting Propagandists6.  ConclusionAppendix

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https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB187785214/

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Authors & Contributors
Holmberg, Niklas
Lafita, Íngrid
Vestergård, Gunver Lystbæk
Ancillotti, Mirko
Lindfelt, Mikael
Eriksson, Stefan
Concepts
Public understanding of science
Communication of scientific ideas
Public opinion
Journalism
Science and society
Methods of communication; media
Time Periods
21st century
20th century, late
20th century
Places
Denmark
Brazil
West Virginia (U.S.)
Greenland
Argentina
South America
Institutions
National Radio Astronomy Observatory (U.S.)
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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