Climate Management Issues

197

6

Human Psychology and the Media

Overview

One critical element to the future of climate change is perception. The way

each individual views climate change, whether they see it as an important

issue that must be positively dealt with or not, will determine the future

of every person on earth. Many people’s perceptions today are shaped by

what they obtain from the media—the programs shown and the stories

reported—and how they are presented—on the TV, news, radio, Internet,

or other source. This chapter takes a look at those very issues and the effect

they can have on the progression and development of a scientic issue. The

chapter begins by looking at how the messages we receive are constantly

being shaped by several factors going on around and within us. They are

inuenced by a unique combination of public input, peer pressure, cultural

values, and our own mix of personal perception based on our own experi-

ences and life events. Next, this chapter explores the power of the media, the

responsibility the media has of reporting accurately, and what the ramica-

tions can be when stories are not presented responsibly. It also delves into

journalistic balance and why it is important overall, but also why it can serve

as a roadblock in controversial scientic issues such as climate change and

how the reader can recognize the difference—whether undue signicance is

being placed on an issue that does not hold enough scientic merit—and keep

the real issues in perspective. This chapter then discusses the issue of the

advancement of scientic theories and the subsequent evolution of thought

and how the media often uses that to discredit controversial scientic issues.

Finally, it covers the occasional data aw and the interesting results that can

happen with media interaction in relation to human psychology.

Introduction

Because climate change is such a controversial issue, it is important for

people to take upon themselves the personal responsibility of becoming

198 Climate Management Issues

thoroughly educated about the topic and being aware of what climatologists

and other specialists know, what they suspect, and what the controversies

are about. Fortunately, today there are several organizations whose purpose

is to educate others about the most critical environmental subjects—such as

climate change—and teach environmental responsibility through conserva-

tion. From both the governmental and private sectors, there are many orga-

nizations that offer opportunities to get involved in ghting climate change,

becoming educated, and educating others about the latest discoveries and

developments, such as the Pew Environmental Group, National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA), NASA Goddard Institute for Space

Studies (GISS), the Environmental Defense Fund, National Geographic,

and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to name just a few. These

organizations are benecial because they are generally well connected with

political and administrative information. They also keep up with the latest

research techniques and present a good source of unbiased scientic infor-

mation. Many also attend the formal political negotiations and conferences

and offer reports that are generally more neutral and objective, often giving

the reader better, more direct information.

Again, this is another example of the value of education, as discussed in

the previous chapter. Becoming knowledgeable about the issues is critical.

Although this may sound obvious, on many occasions misinformation has

been released to the public and has muddled and damaged the progression

of solving critical issues—and climate change is an excellent case in point.

The damage caused by the release of wrong or antagonistic information

often slows the progress of research and mitigation efforts—sometimes even

signicant political headway—making the acquisition of a sound under-

standing of the psychological aspects of media attention important to have.

Development

Climate Change, Human Psychology, Cultural Values, and the Media

The media has an enormous influence on what the public hears. It is the

media that disseminates information through newscasts, magazines,

newspapers, and the Internet, providing an unparalleled opportunity not

only to inform the public of the latest issues but also to play a role in

how that information is perceived. Another component that contributes

to how information is received is different for each person and is based

on preferences, perceptions, and beliefs that are influenced by psychol-

ogy and value systems. These are the sometimes-subtle forces at work

shaping people’s opinions about highly controversial subjects, such as

climate change.