The Role of the Media in the Construction of Public Belief and Social Change
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Happer, Catherine
Philo, Greg
Abstract / Description
The media play a central role in informing the public about what happens in the world, particularly in those areas in which audiences do not possess direct knowledge or experience. This article examines the impact the media has in the construction of public belief and attitudes and its relationship to social change. Drawing on findings from a range of empirical studies, we look at the impact of media coverage in areas such as disability, climate change and economic development. Findings across these areas show the way in which the media shape public debate in terms of setting agendas and focusing public interest on particular subjects. For example, in our work on disability we showed the relationship between negative media coverage of people on disability benefit and a hardening of attitudes towards them. Further, we found that the media also severely limit the information with which audiences understand these issues and that alternative solutions to political problems are effectively removed from public debate. We found other evidence of the way in which media coverage can operate to limit understanding of possibilities of social change. In our study of news reporting of climate change, we traced the way that the media have constructed uncertainty around the issue and how this has led to disengagement in relation to possible changes in personal behaviours. Finally, we discuss the implications for communications and policy and how both the traditional and new media might help in the development of better informed public debate.
Keyword(s)
media social change policy climate change disability economyPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2013-12-16
Journal title
Journal of Social and Political Psychology
Volume
1
Issue
1
Page numbers
321–336
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Happer, C., & Philo, G. (2013). The Role of the Media in the Construction of Public Belief and Social Change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 321–336. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.96
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jspp.v1i1.96.pdfAdobe PDF - 405.58KBMD5: 0f7be1236740441fb58454dba9efb0ec
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Happer, Catherine
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Philo, Greg
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-26T12:44:36Z
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Made available on2018-11-26T12:44:36Z
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Date of first publication2013-12-16
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Abstract / DescriptionThe media play a central role in informing the public about what happens in the world, particularly in those areas in which audiences do not possess direct knowledge or experience. This article examines the impact the media has in the construction of public belief and attitudes and its relationship to social change. Drawing on findings from a range of empirical studies, we look at the impact of media coverage in areas such as disability, climate change and economic development. Findings across these areas show the way in which the media shape public debate in terms of setting agendas and focusing public interest on particular subjects. For example, in our work on disability we showed the relationship between negative media coverage of people on disability benefit and a hardening of attitudes towards them. Further, we found that the media also severely limit the information with which audiences understand these issues and that alternative solutions to political problems are effectively removed from public debate. We found other evidence of the way in which media coverage can operate to limit understanding of possibilities of social change. In our study of news reporting of climate change, we traced the way that the media have constructed uncertainty around the issue and how this has led to disengagement in relation to possible changes in personal behaviours. Finally, we discuss the implications for communications and policy and how both the traditional and new media might help in the development of better informed public debate.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationHapper, C., & Philo, G. (2013). The Role of the Media in the Construction of Public Belief and Social Change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 321–336. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.96en_US
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ISSN2195-3325
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1322
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1682
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.96
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Keyword(s)mediaen_US
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Keyword(s)social changeen_US
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Keyword(s)policyen_US
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Keyword(s)climate changeen_US
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Keyword(s)disabilityen_US
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Keyword(s)economyen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleThe Role of the Media in the Construction of Public Belief and Social Changeen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue1
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Journal titleJournal of Social and Political Psychology
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Page numbers321–336
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Volume1
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record