NPR News on Framing Global Warming as a Public Health Threat
Effectively engaging the American public on climate change—including its causes, impacts, and solutions—remains both a major research question and a communication challenge. Effective public engagement requires understanding the cognitive, affective, and behavioral nature of audiences. On the Monday, Sept. 10 2012 edition of NPR’s All Things Considered, Richard Harris reported on the findings of a...
Understanding Up and Down Cycles of News Attention to Climate Change
Post by Sarah Merritt, American University doctoral student. Reposted from Big Think. News attention to climate change appears to follow a narrative cycle, where according to communication researchers Katherine McComas and James Shanahan (1999), rather than reflecting the objective conditions of the issue, coverage will follow closely the issue’s dramatic qualities including claims related to...
Study Maps the Relationship Between Cable News and Climate Change Perceptions
A new study finds that Fox News tends to feature guests who doubt the reality of climate change and stories that dismiss the need for action, while CNN and MSNBC tend to feature guests who assert the reality of climate change and the need for action. Interestingly, however, Fox tends to devote more attention to...
Public Opinion and Participation in the Climate Change Debate
Public opinion about climate change, observes the New York Times’ Andrew Revkin, can be compared to “waves in a shallow pan,” easily tipped with “a lot of sloshing but not a lot of depth.” In a recently published chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, I review research that provides several explanations...
At the American Journal of Public Health, Experts Examine the Risks Posed by Peak Petroleum
The September issue of the American Journal of Public Health is now available online featuring 8 studies and articles by an interdisciplinary set of experts, each examining the health risks posed by peak petroleum and what can be done to mitigate and protect against the onset of a major spike in energy prices. The special...
Peak Oil Perceptions: How Americans View the Risks of a Major Spike in Oil Prices
A strong majority of Americans say it is likely that oil prices will triple in the coming five years and that such a tripling would be harmful both to the economy and to public health. Conservatives and those dismissive of climate change are among the most concerned by the threat of a major spike in...
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HONORED BY NORWEGIAN GOVERNMENT FOR ESSAYS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
At American University, students can study dimensions of the climate change challenge across multiple disciplines including environmental science, communication, public affairs, business, and international relations. This spring two students in the School of International Service earned honors and a trip to Norway as part of a climate change essay competition sponsored by the Norwegian government. In a...
