The Impact of Television News on Public Environmental Knowledge

Abstract

This study measured the impact of a television news program in educating adults about the Great Lakes environment. In May 1989, WJW-TV8 in Cleveland broadcasted selected knowledge questions and their answers, with accompanying explanatory video segments, on the station's evening news program. Following the broadcast, 461 Clevelanders completed the entire questionnaire at county and city library branches. A comparison of library respondents' knowledge scores on questions that had and had not been broadcast showed that the news program increased knowledge levels significantly. To the extent that the television news viewers who voluntarily participated in the study are representative of the general public, it seems that this media format can be an effective way to educate the public about the environment.