Media Coverage and Public Opinion on Scientific Controversies

Media Coverage and Public Opinion on Scientific Controversies
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DOI:
10.1111/j.1460-2466.1981.tb01234.x
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发表时间:
1981-06
影响因子:
7.9
通讯作者:
A. Mazur
A. Mazur
中科院分区:
人文科学2区
文献类型:
--
作者:
A. Mazur

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The nature of science reporting for the U.S. mass media is detailed as an introduction to a brief analysis of the effect of media coverage on public opposition to science issues. There are a small number of scientist "stars" often seen on television and a similar small number of influential reporters of science about 50 who dominate the print media. There is a localized slender communication link between the science community and the journalist community with friendly exchange of information and favors. This local bias is exemplified by the public relations received on publication of the book "Sociobiology A Science of Altruism" described as a manufactured "science event" turned into a national controversy via this narrow communications channel. It is possible to demonstrate fluctuations in media coverage such as by numbers of articles indexed in the Readers Guide to Periodical Literature and Television News: Index and Abstracts. When publicity of issues is plotted vs. public opinion polls on issues such as fluoridation and nuclear power plants an increase in public hostility can be seen with each rise in publicity. Media exposure to scientific issues seems to encourage public opposition and suspicion suggesting that the public is either discriminatory or perhaps anxious in a counter-productive direction.