Communicating Climate Change: The Impact of Animated Data Visualizations on Perceptions of Journalistic Motive and Media Bias

Stephanie Jean Tsang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Focusing on maps, a common technique for conveying climate change information, this study uses an experiment (N = 423) to test how the type (static vs. animated) and repeated exposure (one vs. two) of visualizations impact biased perceptions. Presented with a pro-climate change regulations news article, participants who read the version with animated visualizations perceived the story to be more biased than those who were presented with static images. Further, a perceived advocacy motive mediated the triggering of an animated visualization to arouse more biased perceptions in favor of climate regulations. The implications for democratic ideals are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-182
Number of pages22
JournalJournal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media
Volume67
Issue number2
Early online date20 Feb 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2023

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Communication

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