John C. Besley
Ellis N. Brandt Professor of Public Relations | Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI, UNITED STATES
Dr. John C. Besley studies public opinion about science and scientists' opinions about the public.
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Biography
Dr. Besley studies public opinion about science and scientists' opinions about the public. His goal is to help science communicators be more effective by helping them consider evidence-based and strategic communication choices. He also does research aimed at understanding how peoples' views about decision-makers and decision processes (i.e., trustworthiness and fairness beliefs) affect their overall perceptions of science and technology (S&T) with potential health or environmental impacts.
More generally, Dr. Besley explores the relationships between media use, public engagement activities, and health and environmental risk perceptions. His research has touched on public perceptions of agricultural biotechnology (i.e., genetic engineering), energy technologies (i.e., nuclear energy, hydrogen fuel cells), and nanotechnology. He has also conducted research into journalistic norms related to coverage of public engagement and research to better understand the impact of science communication training.
Dr. Besley has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. This work has appeared in high-ranking journals including Risk Analysis, Science Communication, Public Understanding of Science, and the Journal of Risk Research as well as a range of edited volumes. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, and a range of foundations. He is the associate editor for risk communication for Risk Analysis.
In addition to his regular research, Dr. Besley was the lead author for the 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 National Science Board chapters on public attitudes and knowledge about science and technology. This biennial report-Science and Engineering Indicators-is submitted to the executive branch and Congress and represents the definitive statement on Americans' views about S&T.
Michigan State University awarded Dr. Besley its William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award in 2021 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) honored him as a fellow in 2018. In 2013, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication awarded him the Hillier-Krieghbaum Under 40 Award. He also received a "rising star" award from the University of South Carolina in 2012.
Industry Expertise (3)
Public Policy
Education/Learning
Research
Areas of Expertise (3)
Decision Processes
Public Opinion
Decision-Making
Accomplishments (3)
William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award (professional)
2021
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow (professional)
2018
Hillier-Krieghbaum Under 40 Award (professional)
2013 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Education (3)
Cornell University: Ph.D., Communication 2006
Carleton University: M.A., Public Administration 2000
Carleton University: B.A., Journalism 1998
Affiliations (1)
- Risk Analysis : Associate editor for risk communication
Links (4)
News (1)
People don’t trust scientific research when companies are involved
The Conversation online
2017-05-07
A soda company sponsoring nutrition research. An oil conglomerate helping fund a climate-related research meeting. Does the public care who’s paying for science?
Journal Articles (5)
What are you assessing when you measure “trust” in scientists with a direct measure?
Public Understanding of Science2023 This article analyzes three publicly available datasets focused on trust in science and scientists. It specifically seeks to understand what direct measures of trust (i.e. questions that directly ask respondents how much they trust scientists) assess in terms of discrete measures of trustworthiness (i.e. perceptions of scientists’ ability, integrity, and benevolence).
Strategic communication as planned behavior for science and risk communication: A theory-based approach to studying communicator choice
Risk Analysis2022 This essay argues that we should treat science and risk communicators’ choices about tactics, objectives, and goals as behaviors to advance both research and practice. Doing so allows for a discussion about how to use theories about behavior change and trust-building to help foster more strategic communication choices.
Science communication fellowship programs as gatekeepers
Public Understanding of Science2022 Science communication fellowship programs act as gatekeepers to the skills and opportunities they provide scientists and science communicators. In this role, they may either resist or reproduce inequities present in society at large. We conducted interviews with 25 US-based science communication fellowship directors representing 23 programs to investigate (1) what types of capital these programs provide to fellows and (2) what rules and norms may shape access to these programs.
Effect of Context on Scientists’ Normative Beliefs
Science Communication2021 Past research on the relationship between scientists’ normative beliefs about public engagement in the context of willingness to engage could prove misleading if respondents do not consider the impacts of engagement activities when responding to survey questions.
American Scientists’ Willingness to Use Different Communication Tactics
Science Communication2021 The careful choice of tactics—such as specific messages, styles, channels, or sources—is how strategic science communicators ensure that the time and money going into communication results in intended changes to chosen audiences’ beliefs, feelings, and frames, as well as associated behaviors. Using a sample of scientists from American research universities (N = 516), we assess scientists’ willingness to use 11 different communication tactics and the relationship between these tactics and potential predictors.
