Can Local TV News Affect Parents’ Perceptions of Parenting and Child Development Research? Evidence From the Positive Parenting Newsfeed Project

As the primary and most trusted source of news for most adults in the United States, local TV plays an important role in providing information to the public, offering an avenue to reach scientifically underserved communities and ultimately building value for evidence-based policies and community health and wellbeing. This study tests whether exposure to local TV news reports featuring parenting and child development research is associated with positive perceptions of this research, greater support for government funding for scientific research, and scientific literacy. We conducted an experimental study where 381 parents in the United States were asked to watch local TV news for 5 days in a week; treatment group’s news videos included short 1-min segments featuring child development research. Parents exposed to the news segments featuring child development news reports were more likely to have positive perceptions about science-based parenting and social science research and to support funding for scientific research. To the extent that early education and other child development and health policies are science-based, the findings of this study suggest that the TV news reports can build public value for these science-based policies.

Duke Scholars

Author Brian Glen Southwell Medicine, General Internal Medicine