As the world grappled with the uncertain, ever-changing world of COVID-19, researchers and journalists were compelled to rethink the way they distribute information in the pandemic.
A new study led by Simon Fraser University has found the urgency and volatility of the virus has shaken the traditional publication protocols of the scientific and media communities.
鈥淭he urgency of the pandemic required researchers and journalists to sacrifice assurances of peer review for more rapid publication,鈥� said Juan Pablo Alperin, publishing program professor with SFU. 鈥淛ust as researchers are adjusting to the new way of rapidly communicating among each other, so too are journalists figuring out how that greater uncertainty needs to be conveyed to the public.鈥�
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Researchers say a combination of the expectation and need for credible health information and the breakneck pace of online news put significant pressure on the research process. Especially during the early days of the pandemic, this at times led to preliminary or 鈥減reprint鈥� studies being misconstrued as peer-reviewed, confirmed information.
鈥淲e saw [confusion] with a couple of high profile preprints published at the beginning of the pandemic, for example, which linked tobacco to COVID-19 prevention,鈥� said Alice Fleerackers, researcher in the Scholarly Communications Lab.
鈥淭hese studies were highly flawed, but they got a ton of media coverage鈥攕parking unnecessary panic and even encouraging some people to pick up smoking.鈥�
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Amid a constantly evolving approach to understanding and fighting back against COVID-19, Fleerackers noted news consumption during the pandemic has seen a boost in many countries.
鈥淛ournalists have not had an easy year. All things considered, I鈥檓 impressed with what they鈥檝e been able to accomplish despite the odds,鈥� she added. 鈥淎nd overall, audiences seem to be responding well. Many countries saw a boost in news consumption during the early stages of the pandemic, and trust in journalism has been high.鈥�
The SFU-led study included research from scholars in the United States and Australia.
adam.louis@bpdigital.ca
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