CONNECT 2021

Getting theWordOut Motta works to curtail misinformation and other problems in communications T hese days, if you’re a researcher focusing on American politics, public opinion, science communication, misinformation, and both health and environmental policy, it makes sense that you’d be in demand. And that’s exactly where Dr. MatthewMotta, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, finds himself. Of course, his expertise is in demand when a presidential election is coming up — or when there are differing views about what happened in a recent election. He is called upon for discussions about views on global warming and conspiracy theories such as flat-Earthers and Q-Anon. And his research subjects include vaccine hesitancy, obviously important in the era of COVID-19. Academics live by the motto “publish or perish,” which means they write papers for scholarly journals as often as possible, andMotta is no exception. But he also believes part of his job is to work with the media and share his research findings in ways that will get the attention of the general public. “I have always thought it was important to let the taxpayers knowwhat I’m doing since my salary and my research are both supported by public funds,” Motta said. “But more than that, if my research can make lives better, then I have an obligation to communicate the findings to the press and those who have the power to pull the levers to make change. It’s a natural consequence of studying important topics.” In the past year, he has appeared on, been featured in or written for The Atlantic , BBC, Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg’s Prognosis Podcast, CNN, The Conversation , KJRH, KOKI, KTUL, National Geographic, NBCLX, The New York Times , NPR, Scientific American , the United States of Care, TheWashington Post and Vox. He was also featured on the Pokes PodCAS on Episode 43: “Misinformation andWhy It Matters.” (Listen at okla.st/mottapodcast. ) “I’m not sleeping a lot, but if there was ever a time to go hard, this is it,” Motta said. “I want to do everything I can to improve other people’s lives, and an important part of that is making sure that my research is getting out there where it won’t only be seen by academics.” Kristen Baum, the College of Arts and Sciences’ associate dean for research, praisedMotta’s efforts. “One of our goals as a land-grant institution is to conduct research that benefits Oklahoma, the nation and the world, and to share that research with the public,” Baum said. “Matt is passionate about conducting and sharing research, and his research has a clear and direct benefit to people. Matt’s ability to share his research in an engaging and informative way has brought a lot of positive attention to the college and OSU. We are very fortunate to have him as a faculty member.” Much of his work covers misinformation and conspiracy theories, including why people seek information that only supports what they believe. And his research shows that many people overestimate howmuch they know about many topics — and even having the facts doesn’t mean that someone will stop believing in fringe ideas. “For example, if you want to know something about the curvature of the Earth, ask a flat-Earther,” Motta said. “They know everything there is to know about it, because they need to in order to reject the understanding that most people have about the shape of the Earth. Often it’s the most informed who are the least likely to change their minds.” STORY JACOB LONGAN | PHOTO COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 6 CONNECT 202 1