Evidence

Marc Jungblut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany
marc.jungblut@ifkw.lmu.de

Evidence describes one out of a range of potential foundations of an opinion. More specifically, evidence refers to the available facts that indicate whether a belief or statement is valid, true, or credible. As such, opinions founded in evidence can be understood as statements about social reality that are backed up by some form of evidential reference. These references can be differentiated in diverse types, including empirical evidence, statistical evidence, anecdotal evidence, and testimonial evidence. As such, sources can be understood as a specific type of evidence.

In general, research on the effects of evidence-based communication suggests that evidence-based statements tend to have stronger persuasive effects compared to evidence-free information since they are perceived as more credible. Moreover, the credibility and persuasiveness of evidence-based opinions also depend on both the characteristics of the associated type of evidence and individual predispositions towards the provided information and the specific type of evidence.

Content analytical research focuses on how different actors in public discourse apply evidence in their communication to convince the public or more specific societal subgroups (i.e. journalists) of their grievances. Scholars have conceptualised the public sphere as a competitive evidence environment in which a variety of societal actors or groups compete over epistemic authority.

Lately, there is a growing concern about the so-called post factual age in which manufactured, false, or manipulated forms of evidence are used to back up misinformation. These ‘alternative facts’ are provided to construct an alternative version of reality that can oftentimes hardly be supported by existing conventional evidence.

Keywords: evidence-based communication, epistemic authority, post-factual age

Related Entries: Epistemic Community, Evidence, Foundedness

References:
Chinn, S., & Weeks, B.E. (2021). Effects of competing statistical and testimonial evidence in debates about science, Environmental Communication, 15(3), 353-368.
Fröhlich, R., & Jungblut, M. (2018). Between factoids and facts: The application of “evidence” in NGO strategic communication on war and armed conflict. Media, War & Conflict, 11(1), 85–106.
O’Keefe, D. J. (1998). Justification explicitness and persuasive effect: A meta-analytic review of the effects of varying support articulation in persuasive messages. Argumentation and Advocacy, 35(2), 61–75.
Vraga, E.K., & Bode, L. (2020) Defining misinformation and understanding its bounded nature: using expertise and evidence for describing misinformation, Political Communication, 37(1), 136-144.