Press Freedom Shapes (Social) Media’s Impact on Climate Change Beliefs

Social media are often blamed for spreading climate misinformation. Yet a recent meta-analysis found that using social media for news correlates more strongly with science-consistent climate beliefs than using mainstream media. Drawing on a 30-country survey (N=23,500), we observe cross-national variation: in countries with greater press freedom, mainstream media use shows stronger associations with science-consistent climate beliefs, whereas social media can be comparatively more beneficial where press freedom is restricted.