Publicação
How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists
| Resumo: | In today’s “post-truth” world, concerns over political attacks on the legitimacy of expert knowledge and scientific facts are growing. Especially populist politicians frequently use their social media platforms to target science and journalism, arguing these are part of an “evil elite,” deliberately misleading the public by spreading disinformation. While this type of discourse is highly concerning, thus far, we lack empirical evidence on how these accusations affect the public perceptions of scientists and journalists. To fill this gap, this study tests how politicians’ attacks affect citizens’ trust in journalists and scientists and the information provided by them. Furthermore, it investigates whether this discourse renders hostility towards journalists and scientists acceptable and whether there are effects on the image of politicians using such anti-science rhetoric. Findings suggest that the effects of politicians’ attacks on citizens’ perceptions of scientists and journalists are limited. Only individuals with strong anti-elitist attitudes are susceptible to disinformation accusations and indicate less belief in discredited scientific information. Interestingly, these individuals also perceive politicians using such attacks as more trustworthy and authentic. |
|---|---|
| Autores principais: | Egelhofer, Jana Laura |
| Assunto: | anti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trust |
| Ano: | 2023 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | unknown |
| Instituição associada: | Cogitatio Press |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Media and Communication |
| _version_ | 1869074039255859200 |
|---|---|
| author | Egelhofer, Jana Laura |
| author_facet | Egelhofer, Jana Laura |
| author_role | author |
| country_str | PT |
| creators_json_txt | [{\"Person.name\":\"Egelhofer, Jana Laura\"}] |
| datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv | Egelhofer, Jana Laura |
| datacite.rights.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv | anti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trust |
| datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Egelhofer, Jana Laura |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv | application/pdf |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i1.6098 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv | eng |
| dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv | Cogitatio Press |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| dc.rights.rights.copyright.fl_str_mv | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| dc.source.none.fl_str_mv | Media and Communication; Vol 11, No 1 (2023): Science Communication in the Digital Age: New Actors, Environments, and Practices; 361-373 2183-2439 |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | anti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trust |
| dc.title.fl_str_mv | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 |
| description | In today’s “post-truth” world, concerns over political attacks on the legitimacy of expert knowledge and scientific facts are growing. Especially populist politicians frequently use their social media platforms to target science and journalism, arguing these are part of an “evil elite,” deliberately misleading the public by spreading disinformation. While this type of discourse is highly concerning, thus far, we lack empirical evidence on how these accusations affect the public perceptions of scientists and journalists. To fill this gap, this study tests how politicians’ attacks affect citizens’ trust in journalists and scientists and the information provided by them. Furthermore, it investigates whether this discourse renders hostility towards journalists and scientists acceptable and whether there are effects on the image of politicians using such anti-science rhetoric. Findings suggest that the effects of politicians’ attacks on citizens’ perceptions of scientists and journalists are limited. Only individuals with strong anti-elitist attitudes are susceptible to disinformation accusations and indicate less belief in discredited scientific information. Interestingly, these individuals also perceive politicians using such attacks as more trustworthy and authentic. |
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| identifier.doi.fl_str_mv | https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i1.6098 |
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| organization_str_mv | urn:organizationAcronym:cp |
| person_str_mv | Egelhofer, Jana Laura |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher.none.fl_str_mv | Cogitatio Press |
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| spelling | en-USHow Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and ScientistsEgelhofer, Jana Lauraanti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trustCopyright (c) 2023 Jana Laura Egelhoferhttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i1.6098DOIhttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6098URLHasVersionhttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6098/6098URLHasVersionhttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/downloadSuppFile/6098/3087URLHasVersionhttps://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i1.6098DOI2023-03-27en-USIn today’s “post-truth” world, concerns over political attacks on the legitimacy of expert knowledge and scientific facts are growing. Especially populist politicians frequently use their social media platforms to target science and journalism, arguing these are part of an “evil elite,” deliberately misleading the public by spreading disinformation. While this type of discourse is highly concerning, thus far, we lack empirical evidence on how these accusations affect the public perceptions of scientists and journalists. To fill this gap, this study tests how politicians’ attacks affect citizens’ trust in journalists and scientists and the information provided by them. Furthermore, it investigates whether this discourse renders hostility towards journalists and scientists acceptable and whether there are effects on the image of politicians using such anti-science rhetoric. Findings suggest that the effects of politicians’ attacks on citizens’ perceptions of scientists and journalists are limited. Only individuals with strong anti-elitist attitudes are susceptible to disinformation accusations and indicate less belief in discredited scientific information. Interestingly, these individuals also perceive politicians using such attacks as more trustworthy and authentic.Cogitatio Pressapplication/pdfen-USMedia and Communication; Vol 11, No 1 (2023): Science Communication in the Digital Age: New Actors, Environments, and Practices; 361-3732183-2439engjournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501literatureVoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists Egelhofer, Jana Laura anti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trust |
| status | SINGLETON |
| status_str | VoR |
| subject.fl_str_mv | anti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trust |
| title | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| title_full | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| title_fullStr | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| title_short | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| title_sort | How Politicians’ Attacks on Science Communication Influence Public Perceptions of Journalists and Scientists |
| topic | anti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trust |
| topic_facet | anti-elitist attitudes; disinformation accusations; incivility; media trust; political attacks; populist communication; science communication; science trust |
| url | https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i1.6098 |
| visible | 1 |