http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2043-8400
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ABSTRACT
Uncivil comments following online news articles about issues of science and technology have been shown to lead to biased interpretations of the news content itself. Using an experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey, we provide evidence that cues about comment moderation ‒ even without any change in the comments themselves ‒ have the potential to alleviate this so-called nasty effect. Participants exposed to uncivil comments that appear in a moderated environment were less likely to perceive bias in the news article itself. Importantly, perceptions of bias among respondents exposed to the uncivil, moderated stimulus were comparable to those of respondents who viewed both moderated and unmoderated civil comments. Our results suggest that visible cues about comment moderation are a potentially valuable endeavor for news organizations, especially in an age of declining profit margins.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
ORCID
Sara K. Yeo http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2043-8400
Notes on contributors
Sara K. Yeo (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Her research interests include science communication, public opinion of STEM issues, and information seeking and processing. [email: sara.yeo@utah.edu]
Leona Yi-Fan Su (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Her research interests focus on the interplay between new media and society, particularly in the context of science and environmental communication. [email: leona.yi-fan.su@utah.edu]
Dietram A. Scheufele (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in the Morgridge Institute for Research. His research deals with the public and political interfaces of emerging science. [email: scheufele@wisc.edu]
Dominique Brossard (Ph.D., Cornell University) is Professor and Chair in the Department of Life Science Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research agenda focuses on the intersection between science, media and policy. [email: dbrossard@wisc.edu]
Michael A. Xenos (Ph.D., University of Washington) is Communication Arts Partners Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His primary research focus is on the extent to which the internet and social media may help individuals learn about political issues, form opinions, and participate in politics. [email: xenos@wisc.edu]
Elizabeth A. Corley (Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology) is Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Her research interests focus on technology policy and environmental policy. Her book titled ‘Urban Environmental Policy Analysis’ (with Heather E. Campbell) was published by M.E. Sharpe in 2012. [email: corley.elizabeth@gmail.com]