New article by Matt Shapiro published in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Change

Matt Shapiro, associate professor of political science, published a new article on effective communications strategies that influence climate change perceptions and decisions. His article was published in the July 2017 online update of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science.

Due to the political polarization on climate change, science communicators are challenged with building consensus among the public for policy action.  As a result, scholars have begun identifying communication strategies and approaches to address audiences with messages that are most likely to resonate with individuals who hold a wide range of values and political identities associated with climate change.

In the article, Shapiro discusses framing, a communication tactic that involves placing significance on certain considerations to simplify or shape the way an audience understands a particular problem and its potential solutions, and its impact climate change discourse. Read the article online.