Skip to main content

The Right Message from the Right Messenger

Allison Arteaga, December 20 2017
People holding colorful shapes in a field

The National Network for Ocean & Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) has some exciting news for climate change communicators! Those of you who have received training in Strategic Framing® techniques through the network may recall collecting pre- and post- training surveys from your audiences regarding the success of your climate change communications with the public. These surveys allowed NNOCCI and evaluation partners at Penn State and New Knowledge to do a large-scale study that has recently been published in the prestigious, widely circulated Science Communication journal.

NNOCCI’s goal is to increase public engagement with climate change, leveraging the reach of informal science learning institutions to impact discourse on a national scale. The study used 7,200+ complete surveys from 1,100+ presentations at 117 organizations over 4 years, through which visitors showed significant increases in understanding of climate change, hope about their ability to participate with others to address climate change, and intentions to engage in community-level action.

Here are a few of the key findings:

  • Both the increased quantity (increased exposure to info) and quality (increased use of Strategic Framing® techniques) of climate change messaging explain the impacts of the NNOCCI training on visitors.
  • After hearing presentations, visitors intended to participate in community action, regardless of political identity. There were some small differences in increases of other outcomes, with liberals learning more and having more hope after presentations than conservatives.
  • The increases of hope and intentions for community actions were equal across education levels. However, visitors with a lower level of education learned slightly less about climate change than those with a higher level of education.

Ultimately, the study concludes that NNOCCI training was successful in promoting more effective climate communication among climate interpreters and, as a result, increased visitor engagement. Regardless of political ideology and education, evaluators saw significant increases in understanding, hope and intentions to act – meaning climate change interpreters have been effective at reaching their broad public audience. Congratulations to all involved, and keep up the good work!

Check out the full article as published in Science Communication.

Learn about ways to connect with the National Network for Ocean & Climate Change Interpretation.

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

More Blog Posts

  • Attention Environmental Advocates: Avoid ‘Cute Critters’ and other Communications Traps
    Attention Environmental Advocates: Avoid ‘Cute Critters’ and other Communications Traps August 09 2016 This is the second in a series about framing ocean and climate change. A fuzzy polar bear cub against an expanse of melting snow. A seal pup slicked in oil. A newborn orangutan clutching its mother’s breast as she swings through a disappearing [READ MORE]
  • California Marine Life Feeling the Heat of Climate Change
    California Marine Life Feeling the Heat of Climate Change By Lisa Marie Potter, February 18 2016 Monterey Bay is home to an astonishing array of marine life, from kelp forests to sea otters to migrating whales. The secret to its productivity: the California Current. Monterey Bay’s rich ecosystem naturally varies in response to physical changes in [READ MORE]
  • Youth Climate Summit: Building Skills, Hope, and Climate Solutions Together
    On November 8, our Education Department co-hosted our first Youth Climate Summit with the Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA), bringing together 53 youth and 11 adult mentors from 11 schools and organizations for a day of learning, connection, and action around climate change.[READ MORE]
  • A Scientist’s Take On Communication Training
    A Scientist’s Take On Communication Training By Evelyn Beaury, August 27 2019 My lessons learned from NNOCCI’s keys to successful climate change conversations – let’s solve this together! With such a polarizing, politicized, and frightening subject, it’s easy to slide into contentious conversation when talking about climate change. I [READ MORE]
  • Two cartoon men are building a stone bridge while each stand on one end of the bridge.The Problem with Solutions & How to Fix It
    The Problem with Solutions & How to Fix It April 05 2017 This is the seventh and final post in a series about framing climate and ocean change. When environmental advocates talk about problems, they sometimes leave out one of the most important parts of the discussion: solutions. This error of omission has significant consequences. When the [READ MORE]