Opinion: Restoring public trust in science requires humility and collaboration, not just better messaging

Michelle Groman and Caroline Montojo, presidents of The Greenwall Foundation and the Dana Foundation, wrote an opinion piece on Sept. 14, 2026 about the challenge of rebuilding public trust in science.

They note that discussions often split between those who think improved communication will solve the problem and those who believe the issue is too large to address directly. The authors question whether scientists and the public share a common definition of "trust" and whether messaging alone can bridge the gap.

The piece points out that surveys still show overall trust in science remains reasonably high, yet public opinion is increasingly polarized and often diverges from scientific consensus. The authors argue that focusing solely on headlines and statistics misses the deeper relational work needed.

Groman and Montojo conclude that restoring trust calls for humility, a broad perspective, and collaboration across disciplines, rather than a simple messaging fix.