Transcript Balance as bias: global warming and the US prestige press

Papers for Seminar 2
 Balance as Bias: Global Warming and
the US Prestige Press (Boykoff &
Boykoff, 2004)
 Improving How Scientists Communicate
About Climate Change (Hassol, 2008)
 A Suggestion to Climate Scientists and
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (Akasofu, 2008)
‘Balance’ is a complex term beyond its conceptual
departing point of ‘fairness’. For example, challenges
arise when grappling with the introduction of new and
complex ideas into the discourse. These ideas take
more time to explain than old ideas that support the
status quo, so in this sense, equal time falls in favor of
people proffering easily digestible, not ideologically
contrary, viewpoints.
Some Questions
1.
How do other sources of information play a role here?
1.
- Talk radio
3. - Local TV news
2.
- National TV news
4. - Other TV (e.g. “The Daily Show”)
2.
Internet “information”?
3.
How can we help promote the idea of being objective, rather than emotional or
“closed-minded”, in the public with regards to global change?
4.
Does getting the central message across to the general public intact start with the
IPCC going straight to G8 and maybe spreading the word that way or by educating
the reporters of the findings before sending them to Alaska?
5.
How should we go about effectively “un-doing” what has already been done to give
people pre-conceived notions on human-caused climate change?
6.
Perhaps a third-party position is needed here, to be the mediator between the
scientists and the public?
7.
What if disbelievers begin to question the knowledge of scientists who are trying to
‘dumb’ down climate change because they’re not speaking in the technical
language that most people expect?
Some Responses
• 1. Stop making overly simple statements – educate the reporters on
the nuances.
• 2. Third party – public education showing the evidence for the
conclusion.
• Data availability? Does that promote skepticism?
• Develop emotional appeals to thinking about climate change, not just
give people a bunch of data.
• Work through local broadcast meteorologists? That is, trusted sources.
• Media will misinterpret scientists based on their particular biases.