Science
Academia's Battle for Public Trust
Why is an institution whose sole purpose is to seek the truth being mistrusted?
Introduction
In 1952, an article titled "Cancer by the Carton" was published by Readers Digest.
It shared with the public how smoking and tobacco could exponentially increase the risk of lung cancer; this, in turn, led to a steep decline in sales of tobacco.
The tobacco industry leaders understood that if they wanted to change the health narrative of tobacco in the public eye, they needed a group of people with credibility and public trust to vouch for them.
Scientist.
The tobacco industry paid scientists to lie about the harmlessness of smoking and make it seem like the reader's digest article was false news.
The result:
- A positive change to the public perception of smoking.
- A reputable scientist was shunned and discredited by colleagues who knew his work was accurate.
Before learning about this story, I was aware of the decline in trust in higher institutions; however, hearing this story gave me a different perspective on why this decline might happen.
So why is public trust declining?
I read a Forbes article in which the writer proposed that the reason for a decline in university trust is the political alliances universities have forged.
In America, Republicans (50%)and Independent (52%) voters both have lower trust levels when compared to Democrats (74%).
Furthermore, a Gallup poll done in 2017 found that Republicans had concerns about political involvement in higher education institutions, while Democrats were more worried about the costs of education.
When I was reading articles, the one word that kept creeping up in my mind was bias.
The story I shared initially could be described as an example of bias or, in far more direct words, corruption.
In the past, members of academia have been tortured and put on house arrest because the knowledge they learnt went against the narratives of the government.
The numerous struggles of past academics might have laid the groundwork for the perception that members of academia will go to any lengths in search of the truth.
Thus, creating a public perception that human desires like money cannot taint academia.
Conclusion
As someone who hopes to have a career in academia, it is crucial to understand why the lack of trust in academia is gaining momentum.
What I have learnt and the conclusions I have landed on have made me think about who I want to be when I enter academia.
If anyone is reading this as an academic, please share your opinions on why there is a decline in academic trust. Your opinions are valuable.
If anyone who reads this is not in academia, please share your opinions to discuss trust and integrity.
This article is not a detailed dive into academic trust but rather a tap on the surface.
I hope readers find this exciting and that further discussions can be done on this topic.
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Best Wishes,
This Writer
Links to sources used in this article:
