Read all about it: examining newspaper coverage of the local environmental risks posed by the Radford Army Ammunition Plant

Abstract

This study examines the factors contributing to the inclusion of scientific information in local news coverage of environmental risks. We conducted a content analysis of articles about environmental issues associated with the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, Virginia’s largest point source of toxic chemical releases. We coded 116 articles published between 2000 and 2019 according to three criteria: the inclusion of scientific information, who is making claims, and whether or not explicit risks are identified. Only 35.3% of the articles reviewed include scientific information. Logistic regression indicates that when an article includes claims made by state officials and/or explicitly asserts the existence of environmental risks, it is more likely to include scientific information. Articles that include claims from community activists are less likely to include scientific information. We examine potential explanations for these patterns.