Shockingly, climate change isn’t the main reason people oppose the boom in “tight” oil (or shale oil) production; instead, local communities are fighting against it for fear of the impact of drilling. Modern drilling is noisy and can drive down the value of people’s homes, which homeowners are particularly sensitive about because the home is the most valuable asset for many American families. Aside from that, many fear that drilling will invite more public spending on infrastructure that could affect their homes. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here