Schedule > Who Said It? – Elite Cues in Environmental News

Reading 1 Discussion

A. Lupia, Communicating science in politicized environments, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110 (supplement_3) 14048-14054 (2013) Link

The Lupia article highlights two main communication challenges: (1) attention to scientific content and (2) selective trust based on source credibility.

  1. What are some concrete things you might do to address the attention challenge?
  2. Given that trust can vary—particularly in polarized environments—what methods (e.g., framing, communicators, platforms) could help bridge credibility gaps and foster engagement across diverse political perspectives?

Reading 2 Discussion

A. Tyson, C. Funk, B. Kennedy, What the Data Says About Americans' Views of Climate Change (Pew Research Center, 2023). Link

  1. How do Americans rank climate change among their national priorities, and what might explain its placement?
  2. How does recognizing climate change in one's local community relate to overall concern and policy importance?
  3. What did you think of the charts / graphs? Did they do a good job communicating the survey data?

Activity: In small groups

Consider the following headlines:

  • "President Joe Biden Calls for 100% Clean Electricity by 2035"
  • "NOAA Report Shows 2023 Was the Hottest Year on Record"
  • "Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Law Limiting Offshore Wind Development in Florida"
  • "Study Finds Wetland Restoration Improves Flood Protection and Biodiversity"
  • "Senator Elizabeth Warren Proposes $50 Billion Plan for Renewable Energy Research"
  • "U.S. Geological Survey Releases Data on Declining Groundwater Levels in Midwest"
  • "House GOP Leaders Introduce Bill to Ease Regulations on Oil and Gas Drilling"
  • "Vice President Kamala Harris Urges Nationwide Ban on Gas-Powered Vehicles by 2035"
  • "New Satellite Data Reveals Rapid Ice Loss in Antarctic Glaciers"
  • "Senator Ted Cruz Backs Pipeline Expansion to Boost U.S. Energy Independence"
  • "Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Pushes for $15 Billion Urban Tree Canopy Initiative"
  • "Representative Kevin McCarthy Criticizes Federal Carbon Tax Proposal as Job Killer"

In groups of 2-3:

  1. Identify who the likely in-group and out-group audiences are for each headline.
  2. Discuss whether the cue could influence perception of the data itself (not just the policy).

Whole-Class Discussion

  1. Did you notice patterns in which cues triggered stronger reactions?
  2. How might elite cues influence trust in environmental data?
  3. How can communicators reduce the polarizing effect of out-group cues?