Preconference: The “Dark Side” of social conversations around science – Contemporary challenges and potential solutions for science communication
Tuesday, 2 June 2026, 09:00 – 17:00 (Central African Time)
Venue: Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University (main campus), South Africa
Science communication plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions and informing policy responses to today’s most pressing challenges, ranging from health and environmental crises to the societal implications of rapid technological advancements. Yet, the field faces growing pressures and complex threats, including economic and political interference, rapidly changing media ecosystems, and public or political backlash against science and scientists. This preconference (the 4th ICA Science Communication Preconference) seeks to explore these darker dimensions of science communication and to identify constructive, evidenceinformed ways forward. We invite theoretical, empirical, and practice-based contributions that reflect on how the science communication community can respond to these challenges, and whether current efforts are adequate, inclusive, and effective.
Background Science communication encompasses all forms of communication about scientific knowledge and practice by actors both within and outside the scientific community (Schäfer et al., 2019). As Bucchi and Trench (2021) describe, it involves curating and sustaining “social conversations around science” that engage scientists, journalists, policymakers, businesses, and citizens. Such conversations potentially shape scientific discourse and culture in different directions (Vogt, 2012). In recent years, several trends have intensified the challenges facing science communication, including: ● the rise of digital and hybrid media (Krause et al., 2025; Mede et al., 2025; Righetti et al., 2022; Taddicken & Krämer, 2021); ● evolving societal expectations of science and changes in trust and deference to scientific authority (Cologna et al., 2025; Bucchi & Schäfer, 2025; Department of Science and Innovation, 2025); ● the politicisation of science (Rajan et al., 2025) and the epistemisation of politics (Bogner, 2021); ● the emergence of anti-pluralist and populist movements (Bellolio, 2022; Naseemullah & Chhibber, 2024; Kinzelbach et al., 2025); and ● the rise of mis- and disinformation, as well as fake news (Gondwe et al., 2025; Wasserman and Madrid-Morales, 2019). Together, these developments fuel hostility toward science, manifesting as political attacks, online harassment, the spread of pseudo-scientific misinformation and conspiracy theories, and the amplification of anti-science narratives by powerful actors such as celebrities and influencers. Scientists and communicators often face these pressures with limited institutional support or protection. The result is an uneven communication landscape that reinforces global and structural inequalities in who can participate in, and benefit from, science communication.