Scientists and media scholars who express frustrations with inadequate science reporting argue that it can lead to at least three basic distortions. First, journalists distort reality by making scientific errors. Second, they distort by keyingconcentrating on human-interest stories rather than scientific content. And third, journalists distort by rigid adherence to the construct of balanced coverage.<ref name="Boykoff2004">{{cite journal|last=Boykoff|first=M.T.|author2-link=Jules Boykoff|author2=Boykoff, J.M.|title=Balance as bias: Global warming and the US prestige press|journal=[[Global Environmental Change]]|year=2004|volume=14|issue=2|pages=125–136|doi=10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2003.10.001}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Moore|first=B|author2=Singletary, M.|title=Scientific sources' perceptions of network news accuracy|journal=Journalism Quarterly|year=1985|volume=62|issue=4|pages=816–823|doi=10.1177/107769908506200415|s2cid=144093163}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Nelkin|first=D|title=Selling science: How the press covers science and technology|journal=New York: W.H. Freeman|year=1995}}</ref><ref name="Schneider">{{cite web|last=Schneider|first=S|title=Mediarology: The role of citizens, journalists, and scientists in debunking climate change myths|url=http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/Mediarology/Mediarology.html|access-date=2011-04-03|archive-date=2019-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001074720/http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/Mediarology/Mediarology.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|vauthors=Singer E, Endreny PM |title=Reporting on risk: How the mass media portray accidents, diseases, disasters and other hazards.|year=1993|publisher=Russell Sage|___location=New York|url=http://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1199&context=risk|access-date=2018-02-05|archive-date=2020-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414170608/https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1199&context=risk|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Tankard|first=J. W.|author2=Ryan, M.|title=News source perceptions of accuracy in science coverage|journal=Journalism Quarterly|year=1974|volume=51|issue=2|pages=219–225|doi=10.1177/107769907405100204|s2cid=145113868}}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=August 2021}} Bord, O'Connor, & Fisher (1998) argue that responsible citizenry necessitates a concrete knowledge of causes and that until, for example, the public understands what causes climate change it cannot be expected to take voluntary action to mitigate its effects.<ref name="Bord1998">{{cite journal|last=Bord|first=R.J.|author2=O'Connor |author3=Fisher|title=Public perceptions of global warming: United States and international perspectives|journal=Climate Research|year=1998|volume=11|issue=1|pages=75–84|doi=10.3354/cr011075|bibcode=1998ClRes..11...75B|doi-access=free}}</ref>
In 2022 the [[IPCC Sixth Assessment Report#WG3report|IPCC reported]] that "Accurate transference of the climate science has been undermined significantly by climate change countermovements, in both legacy and new/social media environments through [[misinformation]]."<ref name="Climate Change 2022">{{Cite web |title=Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change: Technical Summary |url=https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg3/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_FinalDraft_TechnicalSummary.pdf |access-date=2022-04-10 |archive-date=2022-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404150706/https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg3/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_FinalDraft_TechnicalSummary.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Rp|page=11}}
