Public trust in science has been eroded, from Covid-19 to climate | Letters

The market orientation required of scientists isn’t doing society any good, writes Steven Lee; Dr Richard Milne says the media needs to challenge anti-science voices

Jane Qiu rightly identifies that public trust in science has diminished in recent times (The Covid ‘lab leak’ theory isn’t just a rightwing conspiracy – pretending that’s the case is bad for science, 25 June), but she misses some root causes.

Scientists and the media often don’t differentiate or clearly distinguish between hypotheses, initial findings and accepted scientific understanding when publishing information, leaving the reader/listener confused. The media get viewers, readers or clicks (money); the scientist potentially gets interest that leads to longer tenure or funding. The public gets confused when a report is later refuted or overturned.