This research seeks to provide a better understanding of the role of the information presented in the media in the policy behaviors of elite legislators. This research, conducted in Peru, focuses on the case of climate change, a current policy issue that is receiving considerable attention from policy makers, the public, and the media. Studies show that the media is one of the main sources of information about climate change within the public and policy makers; therefore - considering the complexity of the issue - the information presented requires special attention.
The main research question driving the research is: In what ways and to what effect, do the mass media influence the knowledge, environmental attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors of legislators in Peru with regard to climate change? The few previous studies in this area have provided inconclusive and often contradictory evidence about the role of the media in policy decision making due to the methodological constraints of studying this target population. This project uses a survey and in-depth interviews with legislators, a media content analysis of newspapers, and an analysis of secondary sources such as voting behaviors and policy documents. The theoretical framework, from social psychology, focuses on the relationship between information seeking behaviors and levels of environmentalism. The research will contribute to the growing literature focusing on direct mass media effects on policy making, and will provide recommendations to improve environmental news coverage and communication processes related to policy decision making.
Public policy about climate change at all levels of government encounters a variety of roadblocks for implementation. Moreover, the way the issue is understood and discussed varies among nations. Countries that are not required to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases are usually more vulnerable to the effects of a changing climate. One such country is Peru, which houses approximately 70% of the world's tropical glaciers. This study, supported by a Dissertation Improvement Grant by DRMS, focuses on policy decision making and the role of the mass media within the legislative branch in Peru. The study deals with the factors that influence the policy behaviors of members of Congress. More specifically, the study is guided by the following research question: In what ways and to what effect, do the mass media influence the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors of legislators in Peru with regard to climate change? In order to answer this question, the study included the administration of a survey with legislators, in-depth interviews with key respondents involved in climate change initiatives, and a analysis of the way in which Peruvian newspapers discuss climate change. The results of the study show that the level of knowledge about climate change among legislators is relatively low, and includes some basic misconceptions about of international policy, and the causes of the issue (e.g. many think that the ozone layer hole is the main factor in climate change). Additionally, high awareness of the issue and overall high levels of environmental concern are not related to support for climate change policies. However, in a closer examination via in-depth interviews, the study revealed that specific media events and information inputs, coupled with an interest in environmental issues, influenced specific policy behaviors. For example, legislators that read about Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth decided to draft climate change bills. On the other hand, the media covered the issue timidly during the last ten years, usually responding to international coverage and to specific events, such as the meetings of the United Nations. The reliance of newspapers on news agencies can be partly attributed to the limited number of local experts and other relevant sources. The media does not present opposing views, and tends to magnify the vulnerability of the country to the effects of climate change. The discourses presented in the media were reflected in the way legislators discussed the issue. The study revealed a surprising finding, which deals with the extent and the way in which legislators and staff members rely on unfiltered information from the internet, especially when individuals have limited knowledge about the issue. The results present clear instances where this information influenced the ways in which these elites perceived the issue and acted upon it. The results of the study are useful to for elaborating suggestions in regards to communication practices. First, it would be appropriate to provide decision makers with more readily available and accurate information about complex scientific issues. The unavailability of such information influences the reliance on other less reliable sources such as the internet and traditional media channels. Second, media coverage in this case shows that, similar to studies in other countries, there is limited attention to and understanding of the issue. It is therefore necessary to create mechanisms that enable the access of journalists to reliable local expert sources.
