2025/09/24 by Austė Valinčiūtė, Willem Halffman · 1 voice
Decision Sciences · Social Sciences · #Academic Publishing and Open Access #Academic integrity and plagiarism #Social Media in Health Education
paper · doi:10.1080/17512786.2025.2540460
openalex publication_date 2025/09/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
In recent years, retractions of scientific papers have been rising. Most retractions invalidate scientific claims and should not be used as sources of information. Retractions may directly affect knowledge reported in the media and used in public policies, which was particularly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies analyze how journalists respond to retractions of scientific publications. Using COVID-19 as a backdrop for our study, we use a sample of news articles (n = 945) obtained through Altmetric that mentioned retracted scientific papers (n = 77), to analyze how journalists responded to retractions via updates of science-based news, by coding the extent and manner of news updates. Results show that retractions, and formal expressions of concern issued to scientific papers, serve as impetus for the update of news, but that this is still a rare journalistic practice. Updates are mainly issued by elite media outlets and outlets oriented to specialized topics and audiences. Updates inform readers about retractions, but rarely explain in plain language how the retractions influence the news article’s content and claims. We conclude with suggestions for how science journalism can improve its communication of science-based news and remain aware of retractions during and after reporting.