Year
1975
Abstract
The technical and political issues of diversion safeguards are at best confusing to the general public, who derive most of their information about nuclear science from the mass media. This investigation compared \"nuclear news\" of all kinds in three national mass media for thirtythree months of 1972-1974 to examine the quantity and quality of atom-related news they provide. Findings from The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, and the ABC, CBS, and NBC evening news indicate grounds for low public familiarity with essential concepts of safeguards, and consequently, for consumer value conflicts and weak popular supports for safeguards-related policy.