Trust, Primary Source Knowledge, and Science Communication in the Internet Era: The Case of Mainstream Climate Blogging

Much of the scholarly discourse on the relation between science and society concerns the potential of fostering public trust in science, especially regarding socially salient fields of science. In this article, to provide insight into the association between trust and science in the Internet era, I focus on the communication of climate science and climate change through the blogging platform. Following an interview-based qualitative case study approach, and using the concept of “primary source knowledge”, initiated in the sociology of scientific knowledge by Harry Collins and Robert Evans in 2007, I examine the character of mainstream scientist-produced climate blogs and the knowledge communicated through them. I suggest that “mainstream climate blogging” is an authoritative and trustworthy niche of science communication, an example of direct communication between mainstream scientists and an interested and dedicated audience willing to obtain a deeper understanding of science.