The project examines how the production, communication and social negotiation of scientific evidence about COVID-19 take place under the conditions of the corona crisis. The rapid spread of COVID-19 and the associated pressure to act and make decisions increase the need for trustworthy scientific knowledge: contradicting experts, repreadly corrected figures, statistics and recommendations as well as the intensive medialization of dissent and conflicts also feed skepticism towards established sources of evidence. Against this background, this interdisciplinary project aims to de- and restabilize scientific evidence in the corona crisis. Four central arenas for negotiating evidence on COVID-19 at four locations will be examined (scientific research, medical practice, science journalism and social media).

Helena Bilandzic and Susanne Kinnebrock (University of Augsburg), Sascha Dickel (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Mariacarla Gadebusch Bondio (University of Bonn) and Ruth Müller (Technical University of Munich) are involved in this project, which is also linked to the DFG research group 2448 "Practicing Evidence - Evidencing Practice".

The sub-project by Helena Bilandzic and Susanne Kinnebrock is dedicated to science journalism: the media coverage of scientific works and findings on COVID-19 is examined by using a quantitative content analysis. The project will start at the end of 2021.

Principal Investigators (Augsburg): Prof. Dr. Helena Bilandzic & Prof. Dr. Susanne Kinnebrock

Project Duration: 2021-2024

Funding: Part of the DFG-Research Unit “Practicing Evidence - Evidencing Practice“

Publications:

Schug, M., Bilandzic, H., & Kinnebrock, S. (2023). Covid-19 Research in Alternative News Media. Evidencing and Counterevidencing Practices. Media and Communication, 11(1), 323-334. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i1.6049

Presentations:

Schug, M., Bilandzic, H.. & Kinnebrock, S. (2023). Public perceptions of authenticity and norm fulfillment by scientists in controversial and uncontroversial areas. Presentation at the ICA-Postconference “Authentic Voices in Science Communication” on the 30th May 2023 in Toronto/Canada.

Schug, M., Bilandzic, H., & Kinnebrock, S. (2023). Science journalism as evidence regime. Discursive de- and restabilizations of evidence within COVID-19 research coverage. Presentation at the Symposium „Evidence Regime(s) in Contemporary Knowledge Societies” of the DFG Research Group 2448 “Practicing Evidence – Evidencing Practice”. Munich, Deutschland.

Schug, M., Bilandzic, H., & Kinnebrock, S. (2022). From universalism to organized scepticism: How scientific norms are negotiated within science journalism regarding COVID-19. Presentation at the 8th European Communication Conference (ECREA) from the 19th until  22nd October 2022 in Aarhus, Denmark.

Schug, M., Bilandzic, H., & Kinnebrock, S. (2022). Mertonian norms in media coverage of Corona research. Poster presentation at the Communication and Media Studies Days (KMWT). Salzburg, Austria.

Schug, M., Bilandzic, H., & Kinnebrock, S. (2022): Evidencing practices and the rejection of scientific evidence in alternative news media concerning scientific knowledge about COVID-19. Presentation at the ICA-Preconference “The Science of Science Communication: Mapping the Field” on the 25^th of May 2022 in Paris, France. 

Schug, M., Bilandzic, H., & Kinnebrock, S. (2022). Reported evidence? Media coverage of Corona Research. Posterpresentation auf dem Symposium “Whose truth? Whose facts? Cultures of evidence beyond and across academic disciplines” vom 3. bis 6. Mai 2022 in Loveno di Menaggio, Italien.

Other Publications:

Hallermayer, M. (Februar 2023). Wissenschaft und Evidenz im Rampenlicht. Augsburger Allgemeine, Forschungsbeilage Nr. 20, „Wissenschaft und Forschung in Augsburg“. https://www.uni-augsburg.de/de/uni-medien/wissenschaft/

Kornehl, K., Laumer, A., Schönwolff, M., & Schug, M. (2022). Whose truths? Whose facts? Cultures of evidence beyond and across academic disciplines. H-Soz-Kult. https://www.hsozkult.de/conferencereport/id/fdkn-131097