TY - JOUR
T1 - Guidelines for communicating about bats to prevent persecution in the time of COVID-19
AU - MacFarlane, Douglas
AU - Rocha, Ricardo
PY - 2020/8
Y1 - 2020/8
N2 - While the current COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on human health and national economies, conservationists are struggling to prevent misguided persecution of bats, which are misleadingly being blamed for spreading the disease. Although at a global level, such persecution is relatively uncommon, even a few misguided actions have the potential to cause irrevocable damage to already vulnerable species. Here, we draw on the latest findings from psychology, to explain why some conservation messaging may be reinforcing misleading negative associations. We provide guidelines to help ensure that conservation messaging is working to neutralize dangerous and unwarranted negative-associations between bats and disease-risk. We provide recommendations around three key areas of psychological science: (i) debunking misinformation; (ii) counteracting negative associations; and (iii) changing harmful social norms. We argue that only by carefully framing accurate, honest, and duly contextualized information, will we be able to best serve society and present an unbiased perspective of bats. We hope this guidance will help conservation practitioners and researchers to develop effective message framing strategies that minimize zoonotic health risks and support biodiversity and its associated ecosystem services.
AB - While the current COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on human health and national economies, conservationists are struggling to prevent misguided persecution of bats, which are misleadingly being blamed for spreading the disease. Although at a global level, such persecution is relatively uncommon, even a few misguided actions have the potential to cause irrevocable damage to already vulnerable species. Here, we draw on the latest findings from psychology, to explain why some conservation messaging may be reinforcing misleading negative associations. We provide guidelines to help ensure that conservation messaging is working to neutralize dangerous and unwarranted negative-associations between bats and disease-risk. We provide recommendations around three key areas of psychological science: (i) debunking misinformation; (ii) counteracting negative associations; and (iii) changing harmful social norms. We argue that only by carefully framing accurate, honest, and duly contextualized information, will we be able to best serve society and present an unbiased perspective of bats. We hope this guidance will help conservation practitioners and researchers to develop effective message framing strategies that minimize zoonotic health risks and support biodiversity and its associated ecosystem services.
KW - Behavioural change
KW - Conservation communication
KW - Conservation psychology
KW - Human-wildlife conflict
KW - Message framing
KW - Zoonoses
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086370050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108650
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108650
M3 - Short survey
C2 - 32542058
AN - SCOPUS:85086370050
VL - 248
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
SN - 0006-3207
M1 - 108650
ER -