Drawing on a scientific national survey (N = 3,933; including 3,188 registered voters), this report describes Americans’ coronavirus knowledge, attitudes, vulnerabilities, protective behaviors, and communication needs in an effort to inform the public health community, policymakers, and the public. … More than eight in ten Americans say stopping the spread […] Read more »
Navigating the ‘infodemic’: how people in six countries access and rate news and information about coronavirus
In this report, we use survey data collected in late March and early April 2020 to document and understand how people in six countries (Argentina, Germany, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and the US) accessed news and information about COVID-19 in the early stages of the global pandemic, how they […] Read more »
How to fix the White House press briefings
There has been much debate about whether television and cable networks should air the entirety of the president’s press briefings live. A president updating the American people during a global crisis is certainly newsworthy. But many argue that giving President Donald Trump an unchecked platform to spout false information is […] Read more »
Embracing the Uncertainties
… Science is full of epistemic uncertainty. Circling the unknowns, inching toward truth through argument and experiment is how progress is made. But science is often expected to be a monolithic collection of all the right answers. As a result, some scientists — and the politicians, policymakers and journalists who […] Read more »
Ten Takes on COVID-19 as an Economist and Citizen
… The COVID-19 crisis revealed human vulnerability and society’s dependence on science and scientists. In the last few years, there was growing resentment of elites and gravitation toward populist regimes that frequently rejected scientific opinions. The recent crisis is elevating awareness of the crucial role of scientific competence and evidence-based […] Read more »
CBS News/YouGov Poll: Americans see months-long pandemic fight ahead
Most Americans (57%) say the nation’s efforts to combat the coronavirus are going badly right now, most call it a crisis and see a months-long process before it is contained. But the public is pinning its hopes heavily on the nation’s scientists, with eight in 10 optimistic about their ability […] Read more »