ABSTRACT
A growing body of communication research is finding that we all interpret information, especially scientific findings, in irrational ways at times. The once-established concept, long held in journalism, that if one presents facts in a rational manner that society will react logically, is being displaced. This chapter addresses how these concepts affect not just our concern about the environment but how it also affects coverage by journalists. Journalists have also been accused of misunderstanding risk, with some justification. Television reporting has an old saying, "If it bleeds, it leads," and to a certain extent that can be applied to any journalistic medium. Most people agree that the threats from climate change are real, and scientists are virtually unanimous about the risks. When calculating risk, the degree of the exposure or the dose also has to be considered.
