Communication, Media & Politics in a World at Risk

Shifting Ideas, Shifting Opinion, Shifting Policy
Posts tagged "Communication Research"

Online News and the End of Political Disagreement

As our political and media systems rapidly evolve, social scientists are revisiting and updating existing models, theories, and methods for investigating the effects of the media on political attitudes and behavior.  Among topics, understanding the relationship between media and political polarization remains perhaps the most complex and challenging. For the forthcoming 2012 edition of Communication Yearbook, an…

More on the Shifting Roles of Science Journalists in the Digital Age

Following up on our study analyzing the shifting roles and emerging practices of science journalists, Declan Fahy contributed a valuable discussion to the news site of the British Association of Science Writers.  Lede below. Also see Fahy’s article at CJR.org and a more detailed discussion with PDF of the study. Now that science reporters have…

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…