Since Wageningen has been championing Science for Impact, there has been a dramatic increase in criticism of research. Not only in relation to the subject matter, but also (and more importantly) the interests and emotions surrounding research have been heavily under fire. Logical, says Professor of Communication Wijfjes in Resource no.5; it’s only to be expected when conducting socially-relevant research, which obviously deals with socially-sensitive issues. Although this is true, there is still the question of why Wageningen UR researchers are personally torn to shreds, particularly in the social media such as blogs and Twitter and on Facebook and YouTube. Criticism does sometimes focus on the content of research, but insults are also aimed at the researcher in person.
The social media call these researchers to account on the basis of uncorroborated arguments and personal opinion. To my mind, Wageningen UR researchers should pay more attention to the underlying values of these new forms of media. Using them literally requires an understanding of new standards and values.
To create a picture of the underlying standards and values of the new media, I shall sum up a few of what I consider to be the relevant aspects: the response to news and current affairs on these media is faster than we could ever have imagined. Balanced discussion and over-simplified opinions go back and forth in something resembling rapid crossfire. The information is stored and cannot be deleted; the amount of information immense, making it impossible to manage; the focus is on individual reactions, but the quality is not monitored; the reactions are short and lack convincing arguments and facts, instead sketching powerful images and emotions, causing discussions to escalate into verbal violence. People put forward their opinions on the basis of personal convictions and social media now enable them to share these opinions with the whole world and his dog.
New media could be used for worthwhile and transparent communication, encouraging and expanding more profound social debate. Where researchers used to be criticised for their professional role, people are now more interested in the researcher as a person. The downside is that every scrap of personal information available is pumped into their professional profile and vice versa. The new media have not only redefined privacy as a value, or (as Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook proudly claims) got rid of privacy altogether, they have also given new meaning to the term 'responsibility'. Researchers are used to accounting for their actions rationally via scientific arguments to their peers. They are now being pressurised to reveal their interests and emotions mercilessly via the new media. Opinions and perceptions are what count. Arguments and facts play a minor role. In this case, democracy means that power lies with size of the response and not the weight of professional opinion.
So do new media pose a threat to scientists and researchers? A number of incidents concerning standards and values that do not apply on these media would seem to indicate that they are. By focusing on the following points, we too will be able to turn social media to our advantage:
- we must be aware of the new meaning of existing standards in the new media; wake up and get with it!
- although our researchers can use powerful imagery in their contributions, their messages must also make reference to the impartiality that is so important to our organisation, and to the scientific information and arguments available on the internet
- new media focus on the individual, but this does not mean that we cannot compile our responses and contributions together with our colleagues;
- the new media do not only give us an opportunity to share relevant information from our research with large numbers of people cheaply, swiftly and proactively, they also allow Wageningen UR to initiate debate;
- we must express interest in the opinions of people from outside Wageningen UR; we must control our emotions and, most importantly, remember that we do not need to reply to every reaction or statement.
The social media are generating opportunities for research organisations; these are greater than the threats they pose. At the end of the day, we will see images like this on a daily basis, which only goes to prove how effective the social media can be.
Bart Gremmen, Professor (by special appointment) of Ethics in Life Sciences