“You are not alone”
German advice centre Scicomm-Support helps researchers affected by hostility and hate speech.
Unfortunately, inboxes full of threatening e-mails, night-time phone calls, hate posts and other hostile messages have become an everyday phenomenon for many scientists around the world. Disparaging remarks and criticism aimed specifically at undermining their competence are the most common. Some of those affected even report that they receive death threats.
A hotline for victims
Since mid-2023, scientists in Germany have been able to contact the initiative Scicomm-Support in such cases. Its core element is a nationwide hotline that they can call from 7 am to 10 pm. “Often, the first thing they need to be told is, you are not alone,” explains Julia Wandt, co-initiator of Scicomm-Support. The people who answer the hotline calls work in the PR departments of German universities and non-university research institutions. They listen, give tips on how to behave, and discuss - often in collaboration with the respective press department - the communication strategy. If necessary, they bring in additional support, in the form for example of specialist lawyers or psychological counsellors.
The climate, gender issues, the Middle East
The demand is proof of just how much the service is needed: since July 2023, 89 cases have been dealt with, a third of them intensively - and for periods of up to one year. Most enquiries come from people in the social and behavioural sciences and often relate to issues such as the climate, gender or the Middle East. Anyone can be affected, however - mathematics researchers also get in touch, for instance. Statistically, women are targeted more often than men - and report various forms of discrimination, including harassment and stalking.
International trailblazer
In addition to the hotline, Scicomm-Support offers training courses, takes part in panel discussions and gets involved in the political debate. An online guideline entitled “Dealing with attacks and unobjective conflicts in science communication” has been accessed around 3,000 times so far. With its wide-ranging support services, the initiative is playing a trailblazing role. “As far as we know, similar support services exist only in the Netherlands and to a rudimentary extent in the US,” says Julia Wandt. “Our plan is to become even more internationally networked in future.”
