Onderzoeksartikel

Pluriforme berichtgeving over milieurisico's: reconstructie van betogen over dioxine in Nederlandse dagbladen

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Abstract

Public perceptions and opinions play a significant role in decision-making about environmental hazards. Since most people do not directly experience environmental hazards, the mass media play a dominant role in informing the public on environmental issues. As a consequence, differences in mass media content may have implications for public perceptions and opinions. Based on the ‘multiformity’ principle of the press, it was expected that political ‘left’ and ‘right’ oriented newspapers systematically differ in their communication to the public on issue assessment, health issues, policies and solutions. Content analysis was performed on media coverage of Dutch newspapers with clear different political orientations- De Telegraaf and de Volkskrant. Two environmental issues were analysed. No differences were found between the newspapers with regard to information about risks to health and the environment. However, clear differences were noticed in respect to opinions and viewpoints related to technological causes of risks and policy decision making. Based on evidence in other Dutch studies, it was concluded that content factors related to political orientations of newspapers can not explain very well differences in risk perceptions of readers, but may play a role in attitude formation and readers’ intentions to risk related behaviour.

How to Cite:

Caljé, H., (2001) “Pluriforme berichtgeving over milieurisico's: reconstructie van betogen over dioxine in Nederlandse dagbladen”, Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap 29(1), 23–50.