Science Communication Frames, Public Trust, and Climate News Audiences: Panel Analysis
Keywords:
Climate Change Communication, Media Framing, Public Trust, Panel Analysis, Science Communication FramesAbstract
This study investigates the dynamic longitudinal relationship between science communication frames in climate journalism and public trust in climate science. Drawing on a three-wave longitudinal panel survey (N = 1500) conducted over an eighteen-month period, we examine how exposure to different climate change frames—specifically, loss-oriented crisis frames, gain-oriented economic/health frames, and action-oriented efficacy frames—influences institutional and epistemic trust among diverse media consumers. While crisis framing remains a dominant journalistic tool to capture public attention, our panel analysis reveals that prolonged exposure to high-threat loss frames without efficacy components leads to trust decay and fatalistic disengagement. Conversely, action-oriented efficacy frames consistently foster greater trust in scientific consensus and policy initiatives over time. Furthermore, the relationship is heavily moderated by political ideology and baseline scientific literacy, indicating that framing effects are not uniform across the populace. By utilizing cross-lagged panel modeling, this research addresses the causal directionality between news media exposure and public trust, offering valuable insights for scientists, policymakers, and media practitioners seeking to communicate climate risks effectively without alienating key demographics.References
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