Television news stories about severe weather can increase people’s concern about climate change and their support for policies that protect against extreme weather, according to a new USC study.
The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team from USC’s Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service and the Price School of Public Policy, as well as the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and USC Rossier School of Education.
What they studied: Researchers surveyed 3,095 U.S. adults who were randomly assigned to watch short TV news reports about severe weather events, such as heatwaves or wildfires. Some reports used the phrase “climate change,” some recommended actions to protect against severe weather events, and some included both.
- Study authors examined whether TV news reports that mentioned climate change or recommended actions to prepare for severe weather increased viewers’ concern about severe weather events, concerns about climate change, and willingness to support policies that protect against severe weather events.
- They also studied whether viewer responses differed by political affiliation and whether the report covered a local weather event.
Published in Journal of Risk Research, the study found:
- Saying “climate change” matters. TV news stories that used the term “climate change” increased viewers’ climate change concerns.
- Severe weather coverage can boost policy support. Reports about severe weather events bolstered viewers’ willingness to support policies that protect against severe weather events.
- Viewers across the political aisle respond to TV reports. Republicans especially reported greater concern and policy support after watching segments that recommended adaptation to climate change. Interestingly, non-local stories were more effective at increasing Republican support than local stories. Democrats expressed climate concerns and policy support, no matter what they watched.
- No overall advantage for local stories. Overall, TV stories had similar positive effects regardless of whether the severe weather they reported on was local to viewers’ state.
Why it matters: Even brief local TV news segments about severe weather can increase concern about climate change and support for protective policies among audiences across the United States, independent of their political affiliation.
The stories were developed by journalists trained by USC’s Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication. Study authors noted that climate journalism workshops are important for training journalists about how to report about climate change in their weather-related news stories.
In her words: “Local TV news stations are widely trusted by audiences from across the political aisle, and therefore provide an excellent medium for communicating about climate change adaptation in a non-polarizing way,” said study lead author Wändi Bruine de Bruin, Provost Professor at the USC Price School and Director of the USC Schaeffer Institute’s Behavioral Science and Policy Initiative.
In addition to Bruine de Bruin, the study was authored by Gale M. Sinatra, Distinguished Professor at the USC Rossier School of Education; Allison Agsten, Director of the USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication; and Willow Bay, Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
“With training that advances competence and confidence, local news reporters have the potential to impact the way Americans respond to climate change,” Agsten said.
