Developments in the Framing of Climate Change as a Public Health Issue in US Newspapers

Weathers, Melinda; Kendall, Brenden E.

doi:10.1080/17524032.2015.1050436

Cited by 52 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…This finding is consistent with past research that found that global warming tends to be strongly associated with heat‐related imagery (Leiserowitz, ; Smith & Leiserowitz, ) and that health problems from respiratory illness and extreme weather events caused by global warming tend to be more salient compared to other health impacts (Maibach et al, ). This may be partly attributable to the fact that heat‐ and weather‐related impacts have received relatively more attention in news coverage about the health implications of global warming (Weathers & Kendall, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notably, participants viewed information about illnesses from contaminated food and water, and disease-carrying organisms as more worrisome and novel compared to other types of health impacts from global warming.Despite a large body of literature demonstrating climate-related health risks and the fact that the health consequences of climate change are arguably the most relevant aspect of the issue to most people (Maibach et al, 2010), most Americans appear to be largely unaware of the health impacts of climate change and who are most at risk Maibach et al, 2015). This may be a consequence of the fact that there has been relatively little media coverage of the health harms of climate change, and this reporting has generally focused on a broad discussion of health implications, with little attention to specific categories of impacts, and to how specific climate-and weather-related factors affect human health (Weathers, 2013;Weathers & Kendall, 2016).…”

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confidence: 99%

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How Americans Respond to Information About Global Warming's Health Impacts: Evidence From a National Survey Experiment

et al. 2018

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Americans tend to see global warming as a distant threat, but a small body of previous research suggests that information about the health implications of global warming may enhance public engagement with the issue. We sought to extend those findings with a longitudinal study that examined how Americans react to information about eight specific categories of health impacts from global warming. In winter 2017, we conducted a two‐wave survey experiment using a quota sample of American adults (n = 2,254). Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group who read eight brief essays about different categories of health impacts from global warming or to a control group who received no information. Participants answered questions before reading the essays, immediately after reading each essay and at the conclusion of all essays (treatment participants only), and 2–3 weeks later. Reading the information had small‐ to medium‐sized effects on multiple indicators of participants' cognitive and affective engagement with global warming, especially among people who are politically moderate and somewhat conservative; some of these changes persisted 2–3 weeks later. Some impacts were seen as more novel and worrisome, including illnesses from contaminated food, water, and disease‐carrying organisms. Our findings provide the most definitive evidence to date about the importance of raising awareness about the health impacts of global warming. While participants believed all of the essays as offered valuable information, educational efforts might most productively focus on impacts that are relatively less familiar and more emotionally engaging, such as food‐, water‐, and vector‐borne illnesses.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

How Americans Respond to Information About Global Warming's Health Impacts: Evidence From a National Survey Experiment

et al. 2018

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“…The spike in articles in January 2016 is likely due to the beginning of the new legislative session, where the issue of water quality funding was a key issue for legislatures. This parallels findings from previous scholarship showing increased news reporting on climate change during relevant political events (Weathers & Kendall, 2015).…”

Section: Descriptive Findingssupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Beyond the potential role that scientific literacy may being playing, the FBS, a highly circulated and influential communication channel in the farming community is portraying nutrient issues in ways that call into question the assertions of numerous scientific authorities (EPA; 2017; Jones et al, 2017;Licht et al, 2016;Morefield et al, 2016;Osterberg & Kline;. This may be resulting in yet another disconnect between the scientific community and the public, much like Weathers and Kendall's (2015) findings underlying their argument that "there is a serious disconnect between what the public health community knows about the health threats associated with climate change and what the public knows" (p. 606). A similar disconnect in the realm of water quality is likely, though subsequent research is necessary to understand audience's actual knowledge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media, influence, and agriculture

Krajewski

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____________________________________________ Margaret Carrelii To my grandmothers, Jadwiga Krajewska and Betty W. Thrift.iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the support and advice given to me by each of my committee members over the past several years. Thank you, Dr. Kajsa Dalrymple; Dr. Shelly Campo; Dr. Rachel Young; Dr. Melissa Tully; and Dr. Margaret Carrel-I could not have written this dissertation without you. Each of these women also served as role models for me personally and continue to motivate me for my future career in academia.In particular, Kajsa E. Dalrymple was integral to my entire doctoral program experience, with her role as mentor beginning years prior to my official enrollment in the doctoral program.Correspondingly, it was the invaluable advice of my Master's degree program academic advisor, Dr. Shelly Campo, who prompted me to connect with Dr. Dalrymple originally. The guidance of these two graduate advisors has positively impacted my academic career and personal life in more ways than I can express. I also could not have made it through the past six years of graduate school, or any other time in my life leading to those years, without the help of my parents, Diana Thrift and Witold Krajewski. Their support and constructive criticism enabled me to get to this current place in my life, and complete both my Master's and Doctorate degrees. My sister, Sophia Krajewski, also deserves recognition for the motivation she provided me to finish this degree by her own completion of veterinary school several years ago. The final product of this dissertation and my success throughout most of the doctoral program was in large part due to my extremely supportive significant other, Matthew Tarnoff. Matt provided the love, understanding, excitement, motivation, and helpful critiques I needed to make it through the challenges of writing a dissertation and completing my Ph.D.iv Finally, I want to thank the over 100 agricultural producers, and several other key informants, who I was lucky enough to spend a significant amount of time talking to over the lastyear. These people all graciously gave me not only their time, but also expended significant cognitive energy in answering each and every one of my questions. These people are the real reason that this dissertation project was accomplished. v ABSTRACT In Iowa, the state with the largest percent of its land used for agriculture (90 percent) in the nation, compromised water quality is a chief concern among experts. The primary problem is related to the negative environmental impacts caused by nutrient runoff from fields. Although several innovative land-management practices have demonstrated nutrient reduction potential and other soil health related benefits, the practices are not widely utilized on Iowa farm fields.Thus, water quality is at the center of a contentious debate in the state and many farmers are receiving contradictory advice depending on the source of the information.Media and interpersonal communication channels play a primary role...

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“…Fourth, a trend toward declining climate change coverage and “climate silence” in US media is developing (Philo and Happer ; Weathers and Kendall ). News companies have cut full‐time specialists in favor of a workforce of general assignments, freelancers, or crowd‐sourced unpaid amateurs, which means there are significantly fewer environmental journalists left in the US to cover climate change (Deuze et al ; Moser ; Hansen ; Fuchs ; Gibson et al ).…”

Section: Mainstream News Media Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

United States news media and climate change in the era of US President Trump

Park

2018

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

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The Donald J Trump administration's strategy to disengage and downplay the Paris Climate Agreement will likely result in a slight decrease in the already low levels of US news media global warming coverage. This is because significant limitations with the news media's ability to adequately cover climate change predated the administration. First, studies indicate that advertising interests and editors have always challenged journalists' abilities to adequately report on climate change issues. Instead of climate change stories, editors often prefer more sensational topics that garner higher ratings and approval with advertisers. Second, the journalistic norm of balance and the role of sourcing give climate skeptics exceptional media exposure, which creates a "false balance" or equivalency between skeptics and scientists. Third, the massive power and influence of the fossil fuel industry's public relations arm has also had a tremendous impact on public (mis)understanding of climate change. Fourth, a trend toward declining climate change coverage and "climate silence" in US media is developing. Media corporations have substantially eliminated the number of environmental journalists that cover climate change. The overall effect of these limitations distorts public understanding of climate change and delays potential government action. Moving away from a predominantly commercial media system to one with a substantial noncommercial component can improve US journalism, whereas using advertising to increase rates for environmentally unsound products and services may also help mitigate global warming. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:202-204. © 2018 SETAC.

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Developments in the Framing of Climate Change as a Public Health Issue in US Newspapers

Cited by 52 publications

References 48 publications

How Americans Respond to Information About Global Warming's Health Impacts: Evidence From a National Survey Experiment

How Americans Respond to Information About Global Warming's Health Impacts: Evidence From a National Survey Experiment

Media, influence, and agriculture

United States news media and climate change in the era of US President Trump

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