Images in climate change stories spur readers to action

ANN ARBOR'Turn off the lights when not in use. Drive less by walking, biking or taking public transportation. Or write a letter to an elected official to support action on climate change. We're more likely to engage in environmentally friendly behaviors if we read media stories about climate change that include images of renewable energy, a new University of Michigan study found. Images, such as solar panels, and text highlighting actions that can be taken to address climate change can increase our sense of efficacy to address the issue, researchers said. Lead author Sol Hart, U-M assistant professor of communication studies and Program in the Environment, and colleague Lauren Feldman of Rutgers University looked at how images and text in news coverage of climate change affect individuals' beliefs about climate change and their intentions to conserve energy and engage in political activities to address the issue. A total of 1,575 participants completed the online survey-based experiment in 2015.