Bioarchaeology and the Media: Anthropology Scicomm in a Post-Truth Landscape

Abstract

Thanks to our long-standing dichotomy of repulsion/fascination with death in Western culture, popular press items dealing with both ancient and modern skeletons grab the public’s attention and are shared widely on social media. Web 2.0, however, is less a singular platform and more a diverse array of fragmented methods that can be harnessed to engage in anthropological outreach, to boost the signal of work covered by the mainstream media, and even to propagate half-truths and outright falsehoods about past and present humans and their cultures. This contribution provides direction for bioarchaeologists and other scientists who want to engage in or support factual, relevant, and useful science communication.