Weakened Triangle: Politics, Media, and Science in Balance?
January 18, 2025
Back in 2010, Roel in 't Veld introduced me (and others) to the triangular relationship between politics, media, and science. At the time, I thought I understood it. I even wrote an article on how the media relates to politics and, tangentially, to science. However, upon recent reflection, I revisited the model and came to a sobering realization: the lines connecting politics and science, as well as science and media, have weakened significantly.
This erosion of connections has brought us to a troubling state where opinions reign supreme. A stark example is social media platforms like Facebook announcing they will no longer engage in fact-checking. While I have always had reservations about fact-checking practices, I recognize that they are preferable to the rampant spread of fake news.
I was grappling with this realization when a new politician reached out to me. He had already consulted various CBS (Statistics Netherlands) publications on poverty and was searching for an article I had written. I was pleasantly surprised but also skeptical. In the days that followed, I heard from others that this politician had referenced me and other sources in the media. This perfectly illustrated the triangle: the politician, the scientist, and the media.
Yesterday morning, I even heard him live on the radio. This gave me a glimmer of hope, but let’s not kid ourselves—much more needs to be done. For instance, on the same day, a report from an economics conference was published in newspapers and on social media. Among other things, the economists argued that governments should build financial buffers during prosperous times. While this idea aligns with basic household budgeting principles, I’m left with lingering questions. Will politicians take note of such statements? More importantly, is there an active platform where scientists can thoroughly discuss these issues?
For years, I’ve felt that conversations, particularly with economists, have devolved into little more than the exchange of opinions. There is still a long way to go to restore meaningful dialogue and robust connections between politics, media, and science.
Miguel Goede
Comments