Communicating in an Era of Polarization

Abstract

Issues of scientific misinformation/disinformation, fake news, credibility of sources, and, generally, communicating in a time of social incivility, uncertainty, and declining public trust have been much discussed recently in the literature. Challenges around science communication are numerous and seemingly pervasive. Lately, those charged with reporting science around food, nutrition, and health have grappled with a larger and growing challenge—the increasing polarization of society, both in the United States and globally. In its latest Trust Barometer, Edelman, the New York–based public relations and marketing consultancy firm, detailed various effects of polarization on public trust of science and other societal institutions. In this article, the authors discuss health and nutrition science communication in the context of audience polarization. They build on their previously articulated guidance for communicators in addressing the added challenges to effective messaging in a politically and culturally polarized information environment.