Welcome & introductions by the meeting organizers Liesbeth Aerts, Ingrid van Marion & Elisa Nelissen. 

How to communicate facing the algorithm? We dive into the research on infodemics, alternative facts, conspiracy theories etc. Nathalie Van Raemdonck will give us some insights into information flow, based on her research on platform governance and the organic spread of misinformation. Gregoire Lits studies the circulation of information in public spaces in times of crisis and on how different social problems evolve over time, from radioactive waste management, to poverty, the aging population, climate change, and more recently, the Covid-19 crisis and disinformation. Wietse Wiels is neurologist, researcher and president of SKEPP, an organization focused on the critical evaluation of pseudoscience.

Time to get to know your fellow attendees during a networking session. We hope the BE SciComm network day gives you the chance to catch up with familiar faces and to make new valuable connections.

In this session, we focus on how science travels from the lab, desk, or any research setting to mass and social media. We have invited two researchers on this topic and two practical experts. Michaël Opgenhaffen is Associate Professor of Digital Media and Journalism at KU Leuven, where he focuses on the impact of social media on the production and consumption of news, including online disinformation and factchecking. He is also a founding member of factcheck.vlaanderen. Miguel Vissers is a researcher at UAntwerp, studying newsworthiness of scientific research.
After a deep dive in the data we open the floor for further discussions with expert Johanne Montay, editorial manager at RTBF for all science, health and innovation news, and freelance science journalist Senne Starckx, who regularly writes for De Standaard, Eos, NRC Handelsblad and other outlets. 

How can we improve the quality (and quantity) of science news in Belgium? What are the hurdles? What can we learn from science news abroad? Would a local science media center be helpful? We talk about it with our panelists, including MD and journalist Marleen Finoulst, one of the driving forces of 'Gezondheid en Wetenschap', a platform that aims to provide patients and citizens with reliable health information. Kim Verhaeghe from the Flemish popular science magazine and website Eos, a major local player, also shares his experiences and insights, as will Liesbeth Demuyser, science communicator and editor-in-chief of BIOVOX. Kim Barbé, communication advisor at FWO, also joins to shed light on the role science funding bodies can play.

We close the day with more networking. Join us at Brewdog, right near Central station, to dive deeper into what has been discussed during the different sessions over a drink.