TY - JOUR
T1 - Interpreting Images of Fracking
T2 - How Visual Frames and Standing Attitudes Shape Perceptions of Environmental Risk and Economic Benefit
AU - Krause, Amber
AU - Bucy, Erik P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2018/4/3
Y1 - 2018/4/3
N2 - The news media’s increased reliance on visual communication to illustrate complex processes and promote learning stresses the importance of investigating how visual content impacts the understanding of scientific issues. In this paper, we investigate how members of the public interpret and make sense of differentially framed images of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) depicting environmental risk, economic benefit, or issue protest. For the analysis, a repeated measures online experiment was conducted with 250 participants to evaluate 40 photographs of fracking operations and consequences. Quantitative coding and thematic analysis of open-ended responses to the images reveal that standing attitudes, operationalized as support, opposition, or indecision about fracking, segments viewers into distinct groups and shapes interpretations of environmental risk and economic benefit. Issue opponents are more likely to indicate concern for the environment regardless of frame shown, whereas undecideds and supporters cite the impact on human health more frequently, largely in relation to job site safety. Supporters also see the least ambiguity, and most economic gains, in images about the controversial production practice.
AB - The news media’s increased reliance on visual communication to illustrate complex processes and promote learning stresses the importance of investigating how visual content impacts the understanding of scientific issues. In this paper, we investigate how members of the public interpret and make sense of differentially framed images of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) depicting environmental risk, economic benefit, or issue protest. For the analysis, a repeated measures online experiment was conducted with 250 participants to evaluate 40 photographs of fracking operations and consequences. Quantitative coding and thematic analysis of open-ended responses to the images reveal that standing attitudes, operationalized as support, opposition, or indecision about fracking, segments viewers into distinct groups and shapes interpretations of environmental risk and economic benefit. Issue opponents are more likely to indicate concern for the environment regardless of frame shown, whereas undecideds and supporters cite the impact on human health more frequently, largely in relation to job site safety. Supporters also see the least ambiguity, and most economic gains, in images about the controversial production practice.
KW - Visual framing
KW - environmental risk
KW - hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
KW - message interpretation
KW - polysemy
KW - standing attitudes
KW - theme analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040973222&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17524032.2017.1412996
DO - 10.1080/17524032.2017.1412996
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85040973222
VL - 12
SP - 322
EP - 343
JO - Environmental Communication
JF - Environmental Communication
SN - 1752-4032
IS - 3
ER -