How the crisis of trust in experts occurs on social media in China? Multiple-case analysis based on data mining

Abstract

The importance of experts in the communication of scientific knowledge cannot be ignored, however, the crisis of trust in experts persists and is widening on social media in China. In this study, nine cases related to experts’ communication of scientific knowledge on Chinese social media Weibo during the period of 11 November 2022 to 22 January 2023 were selected based on the principles of high relevance, high discussion, and high visibility, and public comments on key post under the case were clustered and compared through data mining methods to understand what aspects of the public questioned the experts. The study found that the crisis of trust in experts on social media was the result of the combined effect of the experts, the media, and the public. Conflicting knowledge in expert systems, the perceived common-sense character of communicated knowledge, the lack of rigor and data-supported knowledge, the blurring of the boundaries between experts and administration and between experts and capital, and the dominance of instrumental rationality for experts could all affect public trust in experts. The media’s conscious or unconscious artistic processing of knowledge communicated by experts might mislead the public. The irrational emotion and populist tendencies of the public can amplify feelings of distrust towards experts. This study provides a theoretical and factual basis for understanding the mechanisms of the public’s behavior after receiving knowledge communicated by experts and for enhancing the effectiveness of science communication on social media.