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Who Does The Public Trust? The Case Of Genetically Modified Food In The United States, John Lang, William Hallman
Who Does The Public Trust? The Case Of Genetically Modified Food In The United States, John Lang, William Hallman
John T. Lang
Trust is important for the perception of many types of risk, including those relating to genetically modified (GM) food. Who the public trusts in any given circumstance, however, is not well understood. In this study of public trust regarding GM food, an exploratory factor analysis with Promax rotation reveals public classification of three common institutional types—evaluators, watchdogs, and merchants. The structure of relationships among these stakeholders can act to enable or constrain public support for this new technology. Evaluators—scientists, universities, and medical professionals—are the most trusted. Watchdogs—consumer advocacy organizations, environmental organizations, and media sources—are moderately trusted. Merchants—grocers and grocery stores, …
Expertise, Trust, And Communication About Food Biotechnology, John Lang, Karen O'Neill, William Hallman
Expertise, Trust, And Communication About Food Biotechnology, John Lang, Karen O'Neill, William Hallman
John T. Lang
Experts typically presume to speak with authority about complex concerns, such as agricultural biotechnology. Research indi- cates, however, that the effectiveness of risk communication depends on perceptions about the trustworthiness of the institu- tions and experts providing information. This exploratory study investigates how experts from a range of food-associated pro- fessions and institutions perceive their own roles in communi- cating about biotechnology. Most of the respondents rated scientists and other experts as most likely to tell the truth about biotechnology, but many felt that members of the public were most influenced by the mass media and by critics of biotechnol- …