Science Feedback Launches French Website to Empower the Public to Verify the Credibility of Scientific Information
PARIS, Oct. 1, 2024 – Expanding its reach, Science Feedback introduces a dedicated French-language version of its site to provide reliable science-related information on critical health, climate and energy issues.
Science Feedback introduces its new French-language website aimed at empowering the public to verify the credibility of scientific information on crucial issues related to health, climate, and energy.
- Access the French version of the website at https://science.feedback.org/fr/
Initiated in 2015, Science Feedback is run by a non-profit association committed to improving the quality of scientific information in digital media and social networks. Until now, our work was published in English.
In 2017, we earned International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) certification for our evidence-based work, followed by the launch of Health Feedback and a partnership with Facebook (now Meta) in 2019. In 2020, Health Feedback (Now integrated into Science Feedback) received WHO accreditation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we began collaborating with TikTok. Thanks to our work, these platforms can detect misleading information, make them less viral, and alert their users.
Our 2024 membership in the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), along with more French-language content, is expected to increase engagement from French-speaking users. Science Feedback caters to media outlets, science education and critical thinking associations, teachers, and anyone wishing to have the power to verify the credibility of scientific information.
“France is not immune to misinformation. That’s why we want to allow the public to access what science really says, and help platforms identify content that spreads misinformation,”
notes Emmanuel Vincent, founder of Science Feedback. For example, a 2022 IPSOS-EDF survey reveals that 29% of French respondents believe climate change is not human-caused, and 8% believe this change does not exist. This is despite the consensus among climate scientists on human responsibility for climate change.
Our offering
We aim to provide French-speaking audiences with clear, evidence-based tools to distinguish fact from fiction and combat misinformation. We offer three types of content:
They provide a detailed view of the state of scientific knowledge in a particular field, in response to a misinformation trend we’ve identified, and in a preventive manner.
We focus on topics particularly prone to misunderstanding and misinformation, related to health (cancer, epidemics, vaccines, naturopathy), climate (global warming, sea level rise, extreme events), and energy (environmental impact of renewable energies).
Claims
Our verdict after analyzing scientific data
Alone or in partnership, Science Feedback investigates misinformation, particularly using data from the web and social networks.
For example, in 2023, we studied 490 X (formerly Twitter) accounts of “super-misinformers” and found that the popularity of their tweets had increased by an average of 42% since Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform in 2022. This is despite Twitter being a signatory to the European Union’s Code of Practice on Disinformation, which commits to action to limit the spread of “fake news”.
Our Methodology
It is particularly rigorous to ensure our demonstration is as solid as possible. To verify information, we rely on an international network of experienced scientists from recognized institutions who actively publish scientific research articles. We ensure they have no undisclosed conflicts of interest.
We explore scientific literature and only retain articles published in leading scientific journals. We strive to give the most objective view possible of the state of research in a field, without favoring publications that would support a particular thesis (“cherry-picking”). We cite references for all publications we use.
Our process is collegial: each of our articles undergoes collective internal review and review by scientists.
The newsletter
To further engage with the French-speaking public, Science Feedback is launching a newsletter in French. Subscribers will receive updates on the latest fact-checks of scientific claims in health, climate, and energy, as well as expert analyses on emerging misinformation trends relevant to Francophone communities.
OUR HISTORY
2015
Climate Feedback is created by Emmanuel Vincent, a climate science researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
2017
Climate Feedback is certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). Launch of Health Feedback.
2018
Creation of the Science Feedback association.
2019
Beginning of our partnership with Facebook.
2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Feedback is accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a member of the Vaccine Safety Net, which brings together providers of reliable scientific information on vaccine safety.
Start of our collaboration with TikTok.
2024
Science Feedback joins the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN). -Integration of Health Feedback and Climate Feedback websites into Science Feedback.
Launch of Science Feedback in French version.
