When it comes to the global warming debate, the media has played a significant role in how most of us feel about this important topic. Many believe that the media has presented them with two opposing sides when in fact there is much more middle ground than that. This is partly because of how the media has reported on the topic, but also because of how some scientists have presented their findings.
Indeed, many scientists working in this field have felt such pressure from the public about coming out with definitive answers on global warming that they’ve begun presenting their research as definitive proof rather than simply one piece of the puzzle. The problem is that science doesn’t work like that. . .
Confidence in Experts is Low
The public’s trust in scientists is low. Most people don’t trust experts at all. Instead, they look to other sources for advice, like a friend on Facebook, a preacher on Sunday mornings, or a psychic on a reality TV show. But most people don’t have a clue about what makes a good source. They’re not experts. They’re not trying to find the truth. They’re trying to get a piece of the pie. Confidence in experts is low because many people simply don’t believe in the process of science. They don’t trust the experts. And that’s a bad situation.
Lack of Time Bias
This is a big one. People have this idea that scientists are trying to prove that the world is warming up because they want more money and power. They think that scientists are trying to prove that humans are responsible for global warming so they can get more money and power. But scientists are looking for the truth. They’re not trying to prove anything. They don’t want more money or power. They just want to understand the world so they can make it a better place for us all.
Scientists aren’t trying to prove anything. They’re not even trying to “prove” anything. There are no hard and fast rules about what constitutes “proof.” If something is true, then you can use any number of different tools to support that idea. That’s how we know that the sun is there, that the Earth goes around the sun, and that Mars goes around the sun too. These are all facts. This is how we know the Earth goes around the sun and not the other way around.
Unclear Definitions
This has a lot to do with the lack of confidence in experts. People don’t trust experts, so when they see one trying to prove that humans are responsible for global warming, they don’t believe them. However, when scientists try to write down exactly what they “think” is happening, they end up with a few different and often confusing definitions. This plays into the lack of confidence in experts in a big way. People don’t feel like they know what scientists are talking about because they don’t feel like they know what the scientists are talking about.
People Don’t Trust Government or Academia, So Where Should They Go?
People simply don’t trust either the government or the academics at their universities. Instead, they look to other sources, like the internet, and the media. However, there is one place that people are trusting. And that’s their friends. This is something that scientists should pay attention to. What we’ve found is that most people feel warm and fuzzy after talking to their friends. But why? This is because humans have this deep desire to trust other humans rather than governments, large organizations, and large institutions.
Objectivity and Bias in Newsrooms
The next thing to keep in mind is that scientists themselves are not immune to the objectivity and bias that plagues all areas of society. Some researchers are showing that these two things exist in the scientific community. This is a big problem. The problem is that just because something is “objective” doesn’t mean that people are going to trust it.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that scientists are human, just like the rest of us. They make mistakes and they get things wrong. When they do, they learn from them and try to make it better. Most people, however, simply walk away from the situation feeling that scientists are trying to prove something when they aren’t. The truth is that scientists are just trying to find out what is happening.
Why is the media playing such a big role in the global warming debate? The media has a huge influence on our views. This is why the media needs to take a step back and think about how it is reporting on this topic. If the media wants to be trusted, then it needs to take a step back, take a deep breath, and think about how it reports on this important topic.
