Framing and the problem of choice: Infinite information, limited motivation

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Why is it so important to provide the wider American public with readily available and scientifically accurate "frames" that re-package complex issues in ways that make them personally meaningful and interesting?

A recent Pew study comparing survey findings across decades emphasizes one major reason:

Since the late 1980s, the emergence of 24-hour cable news as a dominant news source and the explosive growth of the internet have led to major changes in the American public's news habits. But a new nationwide survey finds that the coaxial and digital revolutions and attendant changes in news audience behaviors have had little impact on how much Americans know about national and international affairs.

These latest findings parallel trends in science-related news and public understanding. By way of cable and the internet, Americans today have greater access to quality information about science than at any time in history, yet public knowledge of science remains low.

One major reason is the problem of choice: citizens not only select among media choices based on ideology or religious views, but also based on their preference, or lack thereof, for public affairs and science-related content.

As a result, in a fragmented media system suffused with many options, coverage of public affairs and/or science only reaches a relatively small audience of political junkies and science enthusiasts. The information rich get richer whereas the broader American audience literally tunes out.

Consider the example offered in a new book by political scientist Markus Prior. Three decades ago, when Americans sat down at 6pm to watch TV they had only two choices, either network news or PBS news. Today, if an individual lacks a preference for public affairs content, they can select themselves out of the news audience entirely, watching instead MTV, ESPN, movies, or other forms of celebrity, infotainment, or diversionary content.

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Source: Pew/Exploratorium Survey 2006.
Note: According to Pew's analysis, those who report finding science-related information online hold higher levels of understanding of science even after taking into account levels of education and interest. On the internet, all things being equal, it's the science enthusiasts who are the science seekers.
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Specific to science, the problem of choice shows up in a Pew study released last year on how Americans find information online. Given almost infinite options about where to surf on the internet, the strongest predictor of whether or not an individual used online science-related information was if they stumbled across it accidentally.

Indeed, as the graphic above shows, even among college-graduates, those most likely to use online science content were the already scientifically knowledgeable.

Bottom line, the availability of scientific information does not mean people will use it.

That's one of the central arguments that we put forth in our commentaries at Science and the Washington Post, and that I elaborate on here and in this recent Point of Inquiry podcast.

A quick recap of the key points:

-->The overwhelming majority of Americans do not get information about science from traditional science coverage. Instead, they are most likely to become aware of a scientific topic when it becomes controversial and spills over into the political or opinion pages, or even more likely, when it becomes the subject of celebrity and entertainment media content.

--->In these contexts, opponents of science--on issues like climate change, the teaching of evolution in schools, and stem cell research--are framing messages in ways that fit these media environments and that play on the cognitive biases of Americans.

For some of our critics, this is what they argue, that framing means losing scientific integrity. Yet they also miss a key point. Framing doesn't have to mean accenting false information and interpretations.

In this sense, framing is like nuclear energy. It can be used to further social progress or it can be used to promote disaster. It depends who's using it.

What we are suggesting is that scientists take advantage of what research says about how audiences interpret messages across our fragmented media system and use this knowledge to more effectively engage the broader American public.

It's simple: frame or be framed.

-->Scientists should remain true to the underlying science, but recast messages about issues such as climate change, the teaching of evolution in schools, and stem cell research in ways that make them more personally meaningful to Americans who otherwise probably tune out the scientific details.

-->Yes: Framing does mean "dumbing down," but so does any form of popularization. As we've written over and over again, there will always be a small audience for elaborate explanations of evolution and other areas of science.

Yet these technical explanations will not be given adequate attention by political journalists, pundits, or other media producers. Nor will they be paid attention to by a broader American audience who lack a strong preference for technical details.

How then do you engage a wider American public by way of the media genres that they regularly consume?

Framing has to be a central part of any strategy.

More like this

I'm interested in the marked difference in people's awareness of Nancy Pelosi -- a 35-point difference. How much of this is because she was the first female speaker and has been much in the public eye (e.g. her recent trip to Syria), and how much of it is because the right wing media organ has tried to taint her as a San Francisco liberal?

I guess I'm leaning toward a point about media influence on the discourse. If the media are veering the public conversation in one direction, by giving the impression of "balance" between creationists and evolutionists, global warming deniers and advocates, right-to-lifers and stem cell advocates, etc. then shouldn't part of an effective communications strategy include a robust media criticism?

Certainly that appears to have worked in the US on portrayal of creationism in the media: many reporters appear to have got the message about how the sheer weight of the evidence has built up a huge consensus against ID. (The Dover(?) trial probably also had a lot to with this, too.)

I'm still in two minds about framing. I think it could be a great tool for something like global warming, in which the underlying science is complex and still contested. But shouldn't we also be pushing back against the anti-science Luddites through aggressive media criticism -- and possibly even tactical humiliation?

Tony,
Yes. Effectively engaging journalists on the fact that balance doesn't always mean accuracy is part of the strategy. That's exactly what we argue in this cover story at the Columbia Journalism Review:

http://www.cjr.org/issues/2005/5/mooney.asp

But scientists can't always blame journalists. They need to be pro-active in shaping messages that are true to the science but fit with the imperatives of non-traditional news beats and audiences. That's where framing comes in.

Matthew -- Thanks for that link. I'll read it soon as I have the chance (I'm going on holiday, so hope to sneak a peek when my girlfriend's not watching).

BTW, thanks for your work on this issue. It's come up at just the right time for my own (social science) research, and the debate has been bracing.

But the form message isn't enough.

Timing, techniques and training are just as important.

As you have blogged before, the release of the interim reports of the Fourth Assessment Report by the IPCC on Fridays is a case in point. I point out today the difference between how politicians (attempting to reclaim oversight) and scientists.

It isn't just how things get reported. It's often whether they get reported.

The "whether" part is agenda setting; the "how" part is framing. I think you are talking about two different things. Sure enough, they are linked, but they still aren't the same.

By steppen wolf (not verified) on 27 Apr 2007 #permalink

Yep. Framing and ag-setting are definitely strongly linked but conceptually different.

On the relation between framing and attention to science issues, I published last year the paper linked below that is already starting to pick up a lot of citations. It maps a pretty comprehensive model for understanding framing and its relationship to cycles of media attention to science, using the plant biotech and stem cell debates as test cases:

http://hij.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/11/2/3