An attack on science? Media use, trust in scientists, and perceptions of global warming

TLDR

In the U.S., a widening partisan divide over global warming is driven in part by reliance on partisan media, with trust in scientists serving as a key heuristic shaping public opinion. The study seeks to identify intervening variables linking media use to public perceptions of global warming. The authors used within‑subject panel data from a nationally representative U.S. sample to test whether trust in scientists mediates the influence of news media use on global warming perceptions.

Abstract

There is a growing divide in how conservatives and liberals in the USA understand the issue of global warming. Prior research suggests that the American public’s reliance on partisan media contributes to this gap. However, researchers have yet to identify intervening variables to explain the relationship between media use and public opinion about global warming. Several studies have shown that trust in scientists is an important heuristic many people use when reporting their opinions on science-related topics. Using within-subject panel data from a nationally representative sample of Americans, this study finds that trust in scientists mediates the effect of news media use on perceptions of global warming. Results demonstrate that conservative media use decreases trust in scientists which, in turn, decreases certainty that global warming is happening. By contrast, use of non-conservative media increases trust in scientists, which, in turn, increases certainty that global warming is happening.