Framing Science

AGU Workshop on Communicating Climate Change: Media, Dialogue, and Public Engagement

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:28:04 -0500

For their upcoming annual meetings in San Francisco, the American Geophysical Union is sponsoring a pre-conference workshop introducing scientists, public information officers, journalists, and other attendees to several areas of social science research that examine dimensions of climate change communication and public engagement.

Below the fold are the details and the conference page is here. You can sign up for the workshop by visiting this page. It promises to be a great event and I am looking forward to the ideas, connections, and discussion that it generates.

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Andrew Revkin and Katie Couric on Gore's Choice

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:45:52 -0500

Over at Dot Earth, the NY Times Andrew Revkin has a good round up and preview on Gore's new book Our Choice. His post also includes an embedded 30 minute interview between Katie Couric and Gore on his new book. Of interest, Couric asks Gore if he thinks the climate debate has been too technical and if there is a need to simplify and appeal to emotions. She also asks Gore about the recent Pew climate survey, which Gore describes as an outlier, asserting that public will and support for action are actually on the rise rather than in decline, as the Pew poll indicates.

I will be picking up my copy of Gore's book tomorrow night at his talk at Lisner Auditorium on the George Washington University campus.

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AU Documentary Film Professor Helps PBS Put a Human Face on Climate Change

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:41:37 -0500

The faculty here at American University's School of Communication include several of the country's leading environmental filmmakers with their work coordinated through the Center for Environmental Filmmaking. One of our faculty Larry Engel worked on the recent PBS NOW film "Waterworld" which documents how climate change is impacting Bangladesh. The film describes the human health effects that climate change is already causing in this developing country of more than 200 rivers and frequent storm surges. You can read a transcript and/or watch the film at the embed above.

You will also want to read about Engel's recent course "Practicing Environmentalism: Galapagos Islands," team taught with members of the faculty from the AU programs in environmental science and international relations.

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Gore's Brilliant "Wall" Advertising Strategy and His Back Stage - Front Stage Problem

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:18:04 -0500

Repower America's lastest advertising campaign to promote their new online feature "The Wall" is brilliant. The ads and the social media initiative vividly portray the diversity of support for serious climate action while also framing the relevance of the issue in ways that transcend the traditional ideological divide. As I wrote in a paper this spring at the journal Environment, the Repower campaign is a stark contrast to the dominant message of Inconvenient Truth which may have unintentionally reinforced the partisan divide on climate change.

Gore, however, also faces a major communication dilemma, one that I refer to as his Back Stage - Front Stage problem. From behind the curtain, directing the Repower America campaign, Gore's strategic message and initiative holds the promise of transcending the ideological divide. But each time he steps front stage--such as this week on the cover of Newsweek--given his status as a former presidential candidate, Gore makes it easy for Americans to reinterpret climate change via a partisan lens while providing more rhetorical fodder for conservative media.

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The Promise, the Hype, and the Reality: It's a Different Perceptual Era for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:38:32 -0500

Over at the Knight Science Tracker, Charlie Petit has a round-up on news coverage of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's first significant research grants for stem cell research. Though much of the focus in California and nationally has obviously been on the promise of embryonic stem cell research, only four of the 14 funded projects involve these type of stem cells. The emphasis is on projects that could lead to the most immediate clinical results, a strong if not "tacit acknowledgment that the promise of human embryonic stem cells is still far in the future" writes Andrew Pollack at the NY Times.

On Monday, in a keynote presentation at the meetings of the Canadian Stem Cell Network in Montreal, I will be reviewing how far we have come over the past decade in the framing of the stem cell debate and in terms of public perceptions. I will post a synopsis here next week and I will have several studies to report on this winter and spring.

In the meantime, readers will want to check out the Network's newly launched online Stem Cell Charter. The site opens to a powerful video. It's a testimonial by scientists explaining their belief in the promise of stem cell research. Yet it doesn't engage in some of the trademark hype that brands much of the past political debate. At the Web site, you can sign the stem cell charter, offering your support for research and endorsing a specific reason. I chose "the responsible advancement of stem cell research."

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Putting the Pew Climate Survey In Context

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:48:31 -0500

Last week's Pew survey on American views of climate change generated a sizable amount of speculation and debate from bloggers and other commentators. See for example this round up at the NY Times.

In comparison to some of this blog debate, readers will find very useful the discussion offered earlier this week at NPR's Talk of the Nation involving Pew director Andrew Kohut and Yale researcher Anthony Lieserowitz. [Transcript.]

For more background on how lingering public disengagement relates to the frames of reference provided by the media, climate skeptics, and climate advocates alike, see this recent paper at the journal Environment. For a look at 20 years of public opinion trends on climate change, see this past study at Public Opinion Quarterly.

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David Kirby on the Darwin Biopic Creation

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:54:11 -0500

Creation is scheduled for a Dec./Jan. release in U.S. Theaters.

David Kirby is a geneticist turned science communication scholar who studies the depiction of science in popular film and the role of scientists as technical advisers to entertainment producers. He offers a review of the forthcoming Darwin biopic Creation at the blog Science & Entertainment Exchange.

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Focusing Attention on the Health Impacts of Climate Change

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:22:34 -0500

The Trust for America's Health and the Pew Environment Group released a report yesterday focusing attention on the public health impacts of climate change. The report is the latest in a series of expert statements on the subject. The most significant finding is that only 5 U.S. states have engaged in planning related to the public health consequences of climate change. Research I am currently working on with Edward Maibach and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examines how to effectively engage Americans on the health consequences of climate change. We expect that studies from our first stage of research will begin appearing in Spring 2010.

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Downie and Schudson on Restructuring American Journalism: Implications for Science Media

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:50:30 -0500

In today's Washington Post, former editor Leonard Downie and communication scholar Michael Schudson preview the release of a major new study on the future of news. Below are some of the key recommendations of the report which reflect similar themes I have described in recent articles and at this blog specific to new models for science journalism. In particular, Downie and Schudson echo the need for government funding of new journalism ventures in areas such as science and health and the vital role at the local level that public media organizations and universities can and should play. [Related: See also this recent report authored with colleagues here at AU identifying best practices in digital journalism.]

From the Downie and Schudson op-ed today at the Washington Post:

Rather than depending primarily on shrinking newspapers, communities should have a range of diverse sources of news reporting. They should include commercial and nonprofit news organizations that can both compete and collaborate with one another, adapting traditional journalistic forms to the multimedia, interactive capabilities of digital communication. In a comprehensive report commissioned by the Columbia University Journalism School, "The Reconstruction of American Journalism," to be published this week, we suggest a number of public sources of support for this news reporting:
-- The Internal Revenue Service or Congress should clarify tax regulations to explicitly allow new or existing local news organizations to operate as nonprofit or low-profit entities, allowing them to receive tax-deductible donations, along with advertising revenue and other income.

-- Philanthropists and foundations should substantially increase support for local news reporting -- at both commercial and nonprofit organizations -- to levels they provide for arts, cultural and educational institutions.

-- Public radio and television should be substantially reoriented, through action by and reform of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to provide significant local news reporting in every community served by public stations -- reporting that too few of them do now.

-- Universities and colleges should become institutional sources of local, state and accountability news reporting, following the lead of pioneering journalism schools whose faculty and student journalists staff community news and investigative reporting Web sites.

-- A national Fund for Local News should be created with fees the Federal Communications Commission collects from or could impose on telecom users, broadcast licensees or Internet service providers. Grants should be made competitively by independent state Local News Fund Councils to local news organizations for innovations in local news reporting and ways to support it.

-- Governments, nonprofit organizations and journalists should increase the accessibility and usefulness of public information collected by federal, state and local governments, taking advantage of digital tools to analyze and use it for news reporting.

These are reasonable and achievable measures. They require only leadership in journalism, philanthropy, higher education, government and the rest of society to seize this moment of challenging changes and new beginnings in the media to ensure the future of news reporting.

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Capitalism Edges Past Expelled as the 5th Top Grossing Political Documentary

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:19:00 -0500

This week Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story ($9.9 million) edged past Ben Stein's Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed ($7.7 million) on the list of top grossing political documentaries. For more on the impact and box office success of Expelled, see this past article I contributed to Skeptical Inquirer magazine.

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AU Forum Focuses on Young Voters & Obama: A Year Later

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:37:00 -0500

Tonight, the AU School of Communication's American Forum series focuses on "Change + 1: Are young voters talking back to Obama?" A diverse panel of experts will look not only at how the Millennial generation views Obama personally but also how this age-group views the important issues facing the country today, including the economy and health-care as these issues affect them, transparency in government and the effectiveness of social-networking to govern versus social-networking to get elected.

Panelists include David Gregory, moderator, NBC's Meet the Press and AU alum; Jose Antonio Vargas, technology and innovations editor, the Huffington Post; David Corn, Washington bureau chief, Mother Jones magazine; Erin McPike, reporter, Congress Daily; and David Winston, Republican strategist; president, The Winston Group. The panel is organized and moderated by AU professor Jane Hall.

The Forum is held here on campus at the beautiful Katzen Arts Center and will be re-broadcast on the NPR flagship affiliate WAMU, Wednesday night, Oct. 14th at 9 p.m. - on air at 88.5 FM for those in the DC metro area, or online at http://wamu.org/listen/ or you can listen on your mobile phone at 202-885-7878.

You can also follow the Forum on Twitter, submit questions in advance via Facebook, and watch the Forum live via online video broadcast.

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Is Dawkins Re-Framing His Position on Science & Religion?

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:29:57 -0500

Now that Richard Dawkins has a new book out intended to introduce evolutionary science to a wider audience, is he re-framing his message on science and religion to allow for accommodation? It's too early to say based only on comments made during an interview at Newsweek. Josh Rosenau has the details and a discussion.

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CPB Report on Best Practices in Digital Journalism: Implications for Science Communication

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:10:04 -0500

This week, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting released a report on best practices in digital journalism that I co-authored with several colleagues here at American University and the Center for Social Media. Titled Scan and Analysis of Best Practices in Digital Journalism In and Outside U.S. Public Broadcasting, the report was commissioned by CPB as part of the organization's planning for future directions in online reporting and media. In keeping with CPB's mission, the report has a strong emphasis on strategies for using digital journalism to promote civic engagement, public participation, and diverse community connections.

Though the report is focused on journalism generally, each of the recommendations also applies to media projects in the areas of science, environmental, and health journalism. In fact, several of the examples that represent emerging best practices are drawn from these areas including a focus on Yale Environment 360 and Seed Media Group's Scienceblogs portal.

The project was led by Center for Social Media Director Patricia Aufderheide, and I worked on the research team with several outstanding colleagues including CSM's Jessica Clark and Katie Donnelly as well as Carin Dessauer, a senior fellow at iFOCUS.

Our research process included multiple stages. In the first stage, the identification of best practices was based on a review of existing reports and literature; primary research involving a qualitative analysis of leading websites, and conversations with leading experts who study digital journalism. Armed with initial best practice categories, we then expanded the scope of our investigation, examining and reviewing a broader range of media sites and digital journalism activities while also completing hour-long interviews with a total of ten thought leaders, innovators, and researchers who are examining a variety of digital journalism projects and outlets. Based on our research, here are the 8 best practices that producers and media organizations should consider:

* Involve: Journalism projects are using digital platforms to serve and involve users by providing the information, motivation, and tools for the user to participate in current affairs debates and related online/offline communities.
* Go deeper: News and public affairs outlets are taking advantage of digital platforms to add depth and context to coverage of breaking news, events, and issues. Digital journalism projects are also sustaining and expanding core public affairs specializations such as investigative reporting, international news, or science and environmental coverage--specialty beats that commercial news organizations are otherwise cutting.

* Reach new and non-traditional publics: Digital platforms are making it possible for producers to engage with more focused networks of users who share common identities, problems, issues or interests, rather than following a model that dictates coverage that appeals to a mass audience. Importantly, this creates openings for informing and engaging minority, ethnic, and low-income publics that are often underserved by mainstream coverage--a core mission for public broadcasters. In turn, such perspectives and content can migrate to broader platforms, diversifying coverage and providing valuable context for more general constituencies.

* Repurpose, remix, recycle: Repurposing existing content online can include shifting content from one platform to another, or the aggregation of existing news and data sources around particular issues. Such projects maximize user access to existing content and create new value and utility for users through smart curation.

* Collaborate: Collaborative digital news and public affairs projects are being organized around shared issues, locations and user communities. These projects involve connections between different sorts of media outlets as well as related organizations, institutions, and publics.

* Enable media literacy: Digital journalism is not just about effective use of technology or organizational restructuring. It also involves helping users to take advantage of the abundance of new media resources and choices, to become more frequent and more effective makers and users. This category includes examples of projects featuring news and media literacy, standards-setting and training to become citizen journalists.

* Play with form to innovate and integrate new technologies: Digital journalism pioneers are innovating new formats, interfaces, and platforms for delivering news and information and for sponsoring audience engagement with public affairs. In some cases these piggyback on commercial open platforms and software; in others they leverage free open source software and related developer communities.

* Promote political discussion and participation: Digital journalism sites are well poised to foster political conversations and civic engagement, whether they are election-centered or policy-centered, partisan or not. Political sites tend to encourage and even rely upon user comments that can sometimes turn into rigorous discussions that inspire people to take action. These sites also provide so-called "mobilizing information" on how to get involved, who to contact, and where to show up to participate or vote. Political conversations are also stimulated by government transparency initiatives.

Perhaps the best way to read the report is in the HTML version, which includes links to the several dozen examples of media projects that represent aspects of these best practices. The full report is additionally available in PDF format. You can also read about the related research on digital media that CPB commissioned at the organization's site. Jessica Clark has more to say about the report in a blog post at the Center for Social Media.

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Grant Project to Focus on Communicating the Health Impacts of Climate Change

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:28 -0500

Earlier this month, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation officially announced its 2009 Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research. Ten projects involving sixteen scholars from the country's top research universities were recipients of grants up to $335,000. For more on the program and awards, see this announcement. An abstract of our funded project on climate change communication is posted below.

Our research, in fact, is already well under way. This summer, with the help of several top class graduate students, we completed hour-long interviews with 70 Americans recruited from among 6 distinct audience segments. We are currently in the process of systematically analyzing these qualitative interviews. Later this year we will be in the field with an innovative national survey that tests the effects of different frames on climate change perceptions and behaviors. News on forthcoming studies and articles will be posted here.

Climate change poses a potentially significant threat to the public's health, and addressing it is among President Obama's top priorities. Edward W. Maibach, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor and director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University, and Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D., assistant professor at American University's School of Communication, believe that citizens and stakeholders need to play an active role in formulating effective public policies and investments in greenhouse gas reduction. Their project, Mobilizing Citizen Support for Climate Stabilization and Adaptation Policies, investigates how best to engage Americans on climate control issues and analyzes the extent to which a health perspective can enlist community interest and participation. Through surveys and interviews, Drs. Maibach and Nisbet explore people's beliefs and motivations and test their reactions to various policy proposals and messages about climate change and its health implications. Their research findings could help galvanize the public health community and provide policy experts, government agencies, journalists, and other stakeholders with practical guidance on how best to increase public understanding of the implications of climate change.

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More Than Michael Moore: Research on the Forms, Functions, and Impacts of Documentary Film

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:53:29 -0500

Michael Moore is in a class by himself when it comes to generating news attention, advance publicity, and box office for his documentary films. For example, when I was in Canada this past week, I picked up the National Post to read a lead front page story defending capitalism against Michael Moore's latest charges. Tomorrow night, Moore launches his film with a full hour on CNN's Larry King Live.

Yet the growing influence of documentary film is much more than Michael Moore. That's the focus of a special issue of the journal Mass Communication & Society that I co-edited with American University colleague Patricia Aufderheide. The journal issue--appearing in print and online at the end of this year--features four peer-reviewed studies on the forms, functions, and impacts of documentary film. As a preview, below the fold I have posted a final draft of our editors' introduction to the forthcoming issue. Also see Pat Aufderheide's blog posts reporting on documentary films at the Toronto Film Festival including the global warming doc "Age of Stupid."

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