Abstract
This study examines how attention to science and political news may influence the way people feel about an environmental risk, and how this in turn impacts policy preferences. Using an online survey conducted on the issue of fine dust pollution in South Korea, this study found that science news attention was associated with greater anxiety and anger about the issue, whereas political news attention was associated with fear and sadness/depression (as well as anxiety and anger). Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that science news attention indirectly influenced support for preventive policy through anxiety, whereas political news attention indirectly influenced punitive policy support through anger and fear. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.
Highlights
Environmental risks such as air pollution have been increasingly recognized as one of the major public health concerns [1,2]
Political conservatism was negatively related to political news attention
Science news—is associated with distinct emotional responses about the environmental risk; whereas science and environmental news attention was associated with greater anger and anxiety about the fine dust problem, political news attention was associated with feelings of fear and sadness as well as anger and anxiety
Summary
Environmental risks such as air pollution have been increasingly recognized as one of the major public health concerns [1,2]. That is, telling stories about science or environmental crises as political news may distort scientific discussions about the issues [11] and lead to affective responses that can negatively affect public judgment and behavior. This line of research indicates that specific use of news media genres (e.g., political news) may be distinctively linked to certain negative affective responses, potentially discouraging people from forming accurate perceptions about the risk or engaging in actions to mitigate the risks, few empirical studies have investigated how specific patterns of media use may be associated with certain judgments about the risks, considering the role of affective mechanism in the processes. Given the diverse media coverage these environmental or health risks receive and its potential influence on public responses, it is important to examine whether specific media use is linked to distinct affective responses to certain health/environmental risk issues and judgement about the risks
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