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Discrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians

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  • Alexander Michael Petersen

    (University of California)

  • Emmanuel M. Vincent

    (Medialab, Sciences Po
    University of California)

  • Anthony LeRoy Westerling

    (University of California
    University of California
    University of California)

Abstract

We juxtapose 386 prominent contrarians with 386 expert scientists by tracking their digital footprints across ∼200,000 research publications and ∼100,000 English-language digital and print media articles on climate change. Projecting these individuals across the same backdrop facilitates quantifying disparities in media visibility and scientific authority, and identifying organization patterns within their association networks. Here we show via direct comparison that contrarians are featured in 49% more media articles than scientists. Yet when comparing visibility in mainstream media sources only, we observe just a 1% excess visibility, which objectively demonstrates the crowding out of professional mainstream sources by the proliferation of new media sources, many of which contribute to the production and consumption of climate change disinformation at scale. These results demonstrate why climate scientists should increasingly exert their authority in scientific and public discourse, and why professional journalists and editors should adjust the disproportionate attention given to contrarians.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Michael Petersen & Emmanuel M. Vincent & Anthony LeRoy Westerling, 2019. "Discrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-09959-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09959-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Elgaaied-Gambier, Leila & Mandler, Timo, 2021. "Me trying to talk about sustainability: Exploring the psychological and social implications of environmental threats through user-generated content," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    2. Andrés Navarro & Francisco J. Tapiador, 2023. "Twitch as a privileged locus to analyze young people’s attitudes in the climate change debate: a quantitative analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Alexandre O. Tavares & Neide P. Areia & Sinead Mellett & Julia James & Diego S. Intrigliolo & Laurence B. Couldrick & Jean-François Berthoumieu, 2020. "The European Media Portrayal of Climate Change: Implications for the Social Mobilization towards Climate Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-13, October.
    4. Maria Mercanti-Guérin, 2021. "La viralité d'un contenu est-elle climato-sceptique ? Une illustration par les bulles de filtre," Post-Print hal-03409225, HAL.
    5. Petersen, Alexander M., 2019. "Megajournal mismanagement: Manuscript decision bias and anomalous editor activity at PLOS ONE," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 13(4).
    6. M. Carmen Erviti & Mónica Codina & Bienvenido León, 2020. "Pro-Science, Anti-Science and Neutral Science in Online Videos on Climate Change, Vaccines and Nanotechnology," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(2), pages 329-338.
    7. Tobia Spampatti & Ulf J. J. Hahnel & Evelina Trutnevyte & Tobias Brosch, 2024. "Psychological inoculation strategies to fight climate disinformation across 12 countries," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(2), pages 380-398, February.
    8. Veronika Winter & Johanna Kranz & Andrea Möller, 2022. "Climate Change Education Challenges from Two Different Perspectives of Change Agents: Perceptions of School Students and Pre-Service Teachers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-29, May.
    9. Alexander M. Petersen & Mohammed E. Ahmed & Ioannis Pavlidis, 2021. "Grand challenges and emergent modes of convergence science," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-15, December.
    10. Seppelfricke, Thomas, 2021. "Wie können naturkundliche Einrichtungen durch ihre Marketingkommunikation zu klimafreundlichem Verhalten aktivieren?," PraxisWISSEN Marketing: German Journal of Marketing, AfM – Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Marketing, vol. 6(01/2021), pages 109-117.
    11. Ferenc Jankó & Áron Drüszler & Borbála Gálos & Norbert Móricz & Judit Papp-Vancsó & Ildikó Pieczka & Rita Pongrácz & Ervin Rasztovits & Zsuzsanna Soósné Dezső & Orsolya Szabó, 2020. "Sources of doubt: actors, forums, and language of climate change skepticism," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2251-2277, September.

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