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1 September 2011 Media evolution and public understanding of climate science
Ann E. Williams
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Abstract

This paper employs public opinion data from a nationally representative probability sample to examine how information encounters and exposure to different media sources relate to individuals' beliefs about global warming. The analyses indicate that media source exposure (i.e., exposure to news and information about science presented through different media outlets), intentional information exposure (i.e., deliberate exposure to global warming news coverage), and inadvertent information exposure (i.e., unplanned exposure to news and information about science that is encountered online while searching for other forms of information) relate to beliefs about global warming, in significant and meaningful ways. Namely, the findings show that both intentional information exposure and inadvertent online information exposure associate with disbelief in human-made causes, catalysts, and consequences of global warming. Theoretical and social implications of the findings are discussed and contextualized in light of the rapidly evolving media environment.

Ann E. Williams "Media evolution and public understanding of climate science," Politics and the Life Sciences 30(2), 20-30, (1 September 2011). https://doi.org/10.2990/30_2_20
Published: 1 September 2011
JOURNAL ARTICLE
11 PAGES

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KEYWORDS
Climate science
global warming
inadvertent exposure
intentional exposure
public opinion
selective exposure
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