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Is it worth trying to sway the most staunch climate deniers? | ScienceDaily

Thanks to algorithms that learn about social media users’ content preferences, Facebook timelines, Twitter feeds, suggested YouTube videos, and other news streams can look startlingly different from one person’s online account to the next. Media and communication experts often wrestle with how to rein in the forces that further polarize people with different views, especially people who sit on opposite sides of the political aisle. When it comes to online content that contains disinformation — inaccurate messages or propaganda intended to deceive and influence readers — why are some people more likely to believe falsehoods often spread via social media and the internet?

Arunima Krishna, a Boston University College of Communication researcher who studies public perceptions of controversial social issues, is studying the spread of disinformation, specifically related to climate science — an issue that has been manipulated by climate change deniers for decades. In her latest study, Krishna surveyed 645 Americans about their beliefs on climate change — whether or not those beliefs are informed by fact or fiction — to assess their communication behaviors about climate change.

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Source: Is it worth trying to sway the most staunch climate deniers? | ScienceDaily