A note to #covid scientists from a #climate scientist: choose your battles. We got played again and again and now we have a better (if not perfect) idea about how to deal with scientific misinformers. https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/1349781854963052545

First thing to remember is that there is a set of people who absolutely will not stop misinforming. They’re either professionals or incentivised to spout nonsense, loudly and often. They will not stop if you point out where they are wrong they do not listen to reason.

It can be useful to counter the nonsense from these people but remember THEY WILL KEEP GOING, and that can be exhausting. Also possibly counterproductive - for example if you have a larger following you are simply amplifying them.

Next thing to remember is YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB PROVIDING GOOD INFORMATION. You are not obliged to counter bullshit. Get your good information out there, have the evidence to back it up, show the process by which you got that information.

DON’T LET FALSE BALANCE HAPPEN. We got played for years debating skeptics on tv interviews. Don’t let this happen - it just amplifies edge case cranks. Refuse, explain to the editor what is happening.

If there is a genuine scientific uncertainty, explain that, suggest scientists who have a different but defensible view.

The key is to understand the incentives of the misinformer and do what you can to counter it. But don't waste *all* your energy doing that, get good information out there. You're doing a public service.

If the misinformation keeps happening, try to understand the power structures. In newsrooms, it might be editors wishing to push a point of view, and needing a thin veneer of scientific credibility to achieve that. Refuse to cooperate. If there is an overseeing body, find it.

For example, the BBC (finally) recognised what was happening with false balance in climate science reporting, and changed internal guidance on how to report it. This took years. https://www.carbonbrief.org/exclusive-bbc-issues-internal-guidance-on-how-to-report-climate-change

I should say a couple of final things. First UR DOING GREAT HUN I've been amazed by the speed at which many COVID scientists have internalised all these things, and are providing really good information to the public.

Second, remember you as a scientists ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR COUNTERING ALL THE NONSENSE AND FIXING ALL THE POLICY. You can help, but it's not all on you. Give yourself a break.