Matthew C. Nisbet

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Matthew C. Nisbet

Associate Professor of Communication, Northeastern University

Matthew C. Nisbet, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Public Policy, and Urban Affairs  at Northeastern University. Nisbet studies the role of communication and advocacy in policymaking and public affairs, focusing on debates over over climate change, energy, and sustainability. Among awards and recognition, Nisbet has been a Visiting Shorenstein Fellow on Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, a Health Policy Investigator at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a Google Science Communication Fellow. In 2011, the editors at the journal Nature recommended Nisbet's research as “essential reading for anyone with a passing interest in the climate change debate,” and the New Republic highlighted his work as a “fascinating dissection of the shortcomings of climate activism."

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Guest Thinkers
CLIMATE SCIENTISTS CREATE NEWS PEG ABOUT THE RELEVANCE OF COASTAL DEVELOPMENT: Example of How Scientists Can Make Input on Policy Newsworthy; NY Times Covers Statement; But Other Media So Far Are Silent
Ten climate scientists who disagree about the linkages between global warming and more intense hurricanes have released a joint statement warning that regardless of the resolution of the scientific debate, […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Guest Thinkers
SLIGHT MAJORITY OF PUBLIC DISAPPROVES OF BUSH STEM CELL VETO: 58% Disapproval Parallels Level of Support for ESC Research In Independent Polls; Reaction to Veto in 2006 Contrasts with Majority Support for 2001 Bush Compromise Announcement
Gallup has released poll findings indicating that 58% of the public disagrees with the Bush veto decision. This finding is not surprising, since it closely parallels the level of public […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Guest Thinkers
JON STEWART ON THE BUSH STEM CELL POLICY: Daily Show Compares Administration’s Position on Embryo Life to Civilian Lives in Iraq; Study Shows Negative Effects for Regular Daily Show Viewing…But This Clip is Damn Funny
I run against the tastes of my generation in that I have never been much of a fan of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. As a recent study finds, I […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Guest Thinkers
THE TWO FACES OF MERKEL ON SCIENCE: German Leader Joins Bush in Opposing Public Funding for ESC; Adding to the Complexity of the Debate, Many Opponents of ESC Are “Pro-Science”
The Bush administration isn’t the only government opposing the expansion of publicly-funded ESC research. This week, Germany joined with Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia in opposing a EU […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Guest Thinkers
NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL BOARDS REJECT BUSH VETO DECISION: NY Times Argues that Senate Bill Didn’t Go Far Enough in Funding TC Research; Seattle Times Says This is the One Issue Worth Voting for Dems
Below I provide an overview of the Editorials printed at the national and major regional newspapers. Without exception, the newspapers denounce Bush’s decision. Most go with the “moral inconsistency” angle: […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Guest Thinkers
ON STEM CELL BILLS, BUSH & CO. WIN THE BATTLE OF THE VISUAL: SC Proponents Worked PR Wonders to Get This Far, But the Power of the Bully Pulpit Is Hard to Beat; Embryo Research is Transformed Visually Into Research on “Young Humans”
I’m sorting through all the news coverage this week, and will be having posts forthcoming summarizing the major frames and narratives that appeared in Editorials, Op-Eds, soundbites, and news coverage, […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
Guest Thinkers
DOES SIZZLING SUMMER HEAT GENERATE NEWS ATTENTION TO GW? Some Evidence Says Yes; Hot Weather Provides Another Narrative Opportunity to Tell the Story of Climate Change
Previously I posted that journalists and news organizations have a “limited carrying capacity,” meaning that they can’t pay attention to all issues all the time, so that when one issue […]
Matthew C. Nisbet
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