WATCH: How can the scientific community regain the American public’s trust?

How scientific experts and communicators regain the trust of the American public is a “massive question that we’re all invested in,” said Raven Baxter, a science communicator, educator and consultant.

While it may be too complicated to walk people through the whole scientific process that helped experts arrive at a conclusion, it’s important to “at least offer transparency on how we come to these conclusions today, and how we are still working to answer questions today, and how we may have new answers tomorrow,” she said.

There’s also a media literacy component, added Rollie Williams, creator of Climate Town Productions, an independent media company focusing on climate change.

The solution to that is twofold, he said, “where science communication happens in a way that’s a little more digital native-oriented, and then people start to get a little more sensible in the way they listen to news organizations that are trying to promote one political party,” he added.

Baxter and Williams took part in a special livestreamed Reddit “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) event called “Tipping Point – Turning Science Into Solutions,” hosted by science correspondent Miles O’Brien and digital anchor and correspondent Deema Zein.

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