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Maps, Climate Change, and
Mediated Knowledge: Mass
Media and Uncertain Science
Stephanie Deitrick
School of Geographical Sciences
Arizona State University
Presenter: Rob Edsall
University of Minnesota
November 2009
Media and Science
• Understanding of science increasingly important as
public policy is increasingly effected by science
• Public knowledge often comes through media, not
scientific publications or direct involvement in
research activities
• Complex, uncertain results are distilled into
seemingly certain facts through combination of
language, images, graphics and maps
– Often avoid explicit inclusion of uncertainty or
contextual information
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Media and Climate Change
• Media has played role in climate change dialogue
between science, policy and the public
– Emotional images, bleak futures, certain futures
• Influences public action and opinion in mitigation and
adaptation
• Public risk perceptions, and awareness, are shaped (to
some extent) by this mediated knowledge
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Media and Science
• Most recent, compelling or dramatic discoveries and
futures
• New results presented as the new “facts”
• Visual representations create certainty from uncertain
science
• Constant conflicting views often results in mistrust of
science or scientific findings
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Graphic Communication of Science
• Mediate assessment, validation, and
dissemination
• Powerful because they are persuasive:
– Absolute (abstract to fixed patterns)
– Quickly convey overall impressions
– Scalable (view what may be otherwise
unknowable)
– Can be combined
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Visual Science
• Graphs
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/11/20/global_warming_and_climate_change.htm
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Visual Science
• Diagrams
http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/graphs-diagrams-of-global-warming-and-climate.html
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Visual Science
• Pictures
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Visual Science
• Maps
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Visual Science
• Montage
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/science/earth/20sea.html?scp=7&sq=climate+change+maps&st=nyt
Media and Science
• Human drama and “stories of interest” catch media
attention
• News focus on science if there is a story to tell
• Visual representations provide easy, clear,
persuasive methods to communicate complex
science
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Media and Maps
• Looking to the Future
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FINGERPRINTS: Direct manifestations of a widespread and long-term
trend toward warmer global temperatures
Heat waves and periods of unusually warm weather
Ocean warming, sea-level rise and coastal flooding
Glaciers melting
Arctic and Antarctic warming
HARBINGERS: Events that foreshadow the types of impacts likely to
become more frequent and widespread with continued warming.
Spreading disease
Earlier spring arrival
Plant and animal range shifts and population changes
Coral reef bleaching
Downpours, heavy snowfalls, and flooding
Droughts and fires
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Media and Maps
• Close to home
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Maps and the Media
• Conflicting View and Contradictions
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Maps, Visuals and Media
• Maps in media evocative and persuasive
• Impression that science is certain and exact
• Constant conflicting views often results in mistrust of
science or scientific findings
• Increased presence of science in public policy,
encourages for effective methods of communicating
context, risk and uncertainty
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Thank you.
[email protected]
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