At the Scientist Magazine, Five Myths about Science, the Media, and the Public
In an opinion article at The Scientist magazine, Dietram Scheufele and I discuss 5 intuitive but persistant myths about science, the media, and the public, drawing on conclusions discussed at the recent National Academies “Science of Science Communication” conference. The five myths we highlight include: 1. Americans no longer trust scientists. 2. Science journalism is…
Reading List for Course on Science and Environmental Communication
UPDATE: SEE THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS COURSE AND READING LIST FROM SPRING 2014 This semester, students from a diversity of majors at American University are participating in an advanced seminar I am teaching on science and environmental communication. For the first part of the semester, we are covering core issues and themes. In the process,…
The Science of Science Communication: National Academies Event Examines Our Inconvenient Minds and Social Identities
Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of research from the social and behavioral sciences offering insight on how individuals, social groups and political systems come to understand and make decisions related to science, the environment, technology, and medicine. Research in this area stretches across disciplinary boundaries, university departments, funding agencies and field-specific…
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…
