1 / 12

Environmental activism in the digital age: One guiding principle

Environmental activism in the digital age: One guiding principle. Environmental Activism in the Digital Age NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering April 2 nd , 2014. Edward Maibach, MPH, PhD George Mason University. The guiding principle: Simple clear messages, repeated often,

soleil
Download Presentation

Environmental activism in the digital age: One guiding principle

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Environmental activism in the digital age:One guiding principle Environmental Activism in the Digital Age NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering April 2nd, 2014 Edward Maibach, MPH, PhD George Mason University

  2. The guiding principle: • Simple clear messages, • repeated often, • by a variety of trusted voices.

  3. About “Simple clear messages,…”: • The less you say, the more you are heard • Say the things that have the most value (in achieving your communication objective) • Use audience research to determine what to say (i.e., which messages have most value)*

  4. About “…repeated often,…”: • Repetition is the mother of learning (as well as liking and trust) • Adapt it, elaborate it, but no matter what, say it “early and often” • When possible, say it with words, visual images, and verbal images (i.e., metaphors)

  5. About “…by a variety of trusted voices.”: • Determine who is most trusted • Ask (and enable) them to convey your message(s) • Ideally, your message(s) should be so simple and clear that even members of your target audience will start saying it to their friends and family members – after all, friends and family members are most peoples’ most-trusted sources.

  6. To enhance the odds of success, create a team. Effective public engagement is a team sport involving collaboration between: • Content experts • Social/decision science experts • Communication experts Fischhoff, B. (2007) Non-persuasive Communication about Matters of Greatest Urgency: Climate Change. Environmental Science & Technology Online. 41:7204-8.

  7. A current example The AAAS “What We Know” Initiative http://whatweknow.aaas.org/

  8. The “big five” key beliefscontribute to a range of helpful attitudes and actions Desire for Societal Response • Climate change is real • It’s human-caused • It’s harmful to humans • It’s solvable { Experts agree: human-caused climate change is happening Support for Climate Policies Political & Consumer Activism The “big five” key beliefs Sources: Ding-Ding et al., 2012; Lewandowskyet al., 2012; Roser-Renoufet al., 2011; Krosnicket al., 2006

  9. WWK’s three messages:1.  Climate scientists agree: climate change is happening here and now.2.  We are at risk of pushing our climate system toward abrupt, unpredictable, and potentially irreversible changes with highly damaging impacts.3. The sooner we act, the lower the risk and cost. And there is much we can do.

  10. In conclusion: • What is the guiding principle?

More Related