Scientific suppression is not always as obvious as direct government intervention. A study published in November 2020 shows that ecologists and conservation scientists across Australia experienced various kinds of suppression. The study determined that while 34% of government employed scientists reported being constrained by their management and policy, university researchers tended to self-censor from fear of media misrepresentation. This “soft suppression” – reacting to perceived consequences – creates a chilling effect, causing researchers to avoid topics that could cause retaliation from supervising managers or other powerful figures in the administrative and policy-setting structures that govern their institutions.