The high cost of silencing scientists

London - What are government scientists allowed to say? In Canada, many are feeling “gagged” when it comes to discussing their findings – hampered by funding cuts and the increasing need for all public enquires to be media managed. Even in timely situations, such as the immediate aftermath of a local earthquake, they have felt delayed or prevented from talking directly to journalists.

Meanwhile, in the US, last October’s government shutdown, coupled with funding cuts, has seriously impacted upon US Federal Government scientists’ right to free speech, creating a ripple effect on future research that will be felt for years to come.

Full accounts of these current censorship issues in science appear in two papers within the latest issue of the world's most influential free speech magazine, Index on Censorship, published by SAGE.

Science writer and former physicist Mark Frary writes that, according to the Canadian pressure group Democracy Watch:

‘There are few issues more fundamental to democracy than the ability of the public to access scientific information produced by government scientists – information that their tax dollars have paid for. We as a society cannot make informed choices about critical issues if we are not fully informed about the facts.’

The Professional Institute of Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), which is the largest union representing government scientists, has published a report surveying over 4,000 scientists about their censorship concerns. It revealed that 90 percent of respondents did not feel able to speak freely to the media about their work. PIPSC president Gary Corbett described a “climate of fear”:

“The safety of our food, air, water, of hundreds of consumer and industrial products, and our environment, depends on the ability of federal scientists to provide complete, unbiased, timely and accurate information to Canadians.”

Gretchen T. Goldman, an analyst for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists in the United States, emailed 20,000 scientists affected by last October’s two-week US government shutdown, the responses of which she brings together in her article, ‘Stories of the Shutdown’. She describes the “hard blow” felt by scientists, who were already feeling deflated after sudden public spending cuts in March 2013. Those cuts led to laboratory closures, fewer and smaller grants to scientists, and research job losses. Policy changes restricting or eliminating funds for travel and conferences led to scientists – even those giving keynote speeches at prestigious and long-planned events – being forced to cancel appearances.  Missing these events curbed scientific free speech, Goldman argues.

The 16-day shutdown in October added insult to injury. Without access to government facilities, data, communication or access to study areas, most areas of scientific life were on hold. The peer review process stalled as access to email accounts was denied; “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities, such as one researcher’s planned trip to study climate in Antarctica, were scrapped. At an international level, US federal scientists were unable to attend a panel on water resources and climate that had been planned for more than a year. The meeting went ahead – the US scientists’ voices were not heard.

Further cuts are likely in 2014, too, Goldman says:

“This year any reserves federal agencies have will be exhausted and they will have less flexibility in their spending. For some federal science programmes, a second round of cuts could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

If you would like an advance copy of the publication for review, please contact rachael@indexoncensorship.org

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Index on Censorship is an international organisation that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. The inspiration of poet Stephen Spender, Index was founded in 1972 to publish the untold stories of dissidents behind the Iron Curtain. Today, we fight for free speech around the world, challenging censorship whenever and wherever it occurs.

Index uses a unique combination of journalism, campaigning and advocacy to defend freedom of expression for those facing censorship and repression, including journalists, writers, social media users, bloggers, artists, politicians, scientists, academics, activists and citizens. www.indexoncensorship.org