{"id":4065,"date":"2019-04-16T08:50:18","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T12:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/igs\/?p=4065"},"modified":"2025-02-06T14:47:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T19:47:09","slug":"trusted-messenger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/igs\/2019\/04\/16\/trusted-messenger\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Communications 101: the Trusted Messenger"},"content":{"rendered":"

An entire climate communications strategy flows from this one simple principle: People believe people whom they trust, and they\u2019re more likely to act based on the recommendation of that influential other person. Communications experts<\/a> call this the Trusted Messenger principle, and it\u2019s proven especially effective on the topic of climate change.<\/p>\n

Friends, family, and co-workers are powerful agents of the Trusted Messenger principle. \u201cOn the issue of climate change, people typically trust most the people they know the best \u2013 their\u00a0family members, friends, and co-workers,\u201d says Ed Maibach, the founding director of the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication<\/a>. His \u201cSix Americas\u201d<\/a> collaborator, Tony Leiserowitz, who directs the\u00a0Yale Project on Climate Change Communication<\/a>, agrees: “Most of us are really affected by the people in our own lives. It\u2019s our kids. It\u2019s our friends.\u201d And, “We need to talk about it.”<\/p>\n

Researchers have identified top trusted influencers to be scientists, primary-care physicians and other health-care professionals<\/a>, faith leaders<\/a>, TV meteorologists, staff at zoos, aquariums, museums, and nature centers<\/a>, university<\/a> leaders, and farmers<\/a>. These networks are already organized and training their members to communicate effectively about climate change, and to make progress on resilience and adaptation solutions.<\/p>\n

Importantly \u2014 because they control the $ tens of trillions+<\/a> that must shift to a low-carbon global economy \u2014 investors and corporations are also beginning to lead on climate, although arguably not at the pace required<\/a>. They, too, are organized: Ceres<\/a>, the Financial Stability Board\u2019s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures<\/a> (TCFDs), Principles for Responsible Investment<\/a> (PRI), and Science-Based Targets<\/a>, which is a collaboration between the United Nations Global Compact<\/a> (UNGC), the World Resources Institute<\/a> (WRI), and one of the We Mean Business\u00a0Coalition<\/a> commitments. (More coming on this in a post soon.)<\/p>\n

To this established list of Trusted Messengers, I\u2019d add first responders, celebrities, rockstars, movie stars, business leaders, top athletes, best-selling authors, team captains, your favorite news anchors and commentators, and late-night comedians<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The potential for climate engagement is huge. For example, more people (181 million) visit American zoos and aquariums\u00a0each year than all major-league sports events combined. Cultural institutions are seen as politically agnostic<\/a>, adding to their appeal as places to learn and have fun, instead of getting into a stressful confrontation.<\/p>\n

Every group of people has its stars, its popular natural leaders. 16-year old Greta Thunberg<\/a> has disarmed the world with her no-nonsense-yet-girlish perspicacity. Your college basketball MVP can be as powerful among his fans as Cardi B<\/a> (with 40 million Instagram followers) is for hers. The rest of us can encourage these Trusted Messengers to deliver simple messages about climate change to their followers, in their own way, and stick to it.<\/p>\n

Once you begin thinking about this, you\u2019ll see that Trusted Messengers are everywhere: your neighborhood association steering committee, leading the most popular workout class at your gym, running the show at that hot yoga studio, organizing a bike race or tennis tournament, figuring out a tricky family situation, leading a food drive. Popular and respected folks who step up and get stuff done \u2013 and make friends along the way: these are the Trusted Messengers in your life.<\/p>\n

How to become a Trusted Messenger yourself?<\/p>\n