As the 2024 US elections draw near, many of our colleagues in academia will share their knowledge and insights with the public via social media, on podcasts, and in the press. But public-facing communication can put academics and other experts at risk for intimidation and harassment by hostile members of the public, politicians, and pundits. We’ve spent the last three years researching how to better support researchers in these circumstances and have compiled a list of proactive steps that scholars can take to help reduce the potential intensity and negative impacts of such backlash.
The tips we offer here are part of a larger project, the Researcher Support Consortium, that will launch later in September. At its launch the Consortium will offer resources not just for individuals, but also for institutions and funders that seek to better support scholars facing various forms of intimidation and harassment for their work. These resources will include sample policies, guidance about how to set up institutional response teams, and tips for appropriately communicating with impacted scholars.
The study, “Tips for Scholars Who Share Their Elections Expertise with the Public” was authored by Rebekah Tromble et al.
You can read the full article in Tech Policy Press