Media attention and institutional trust: examining public risk and benefit perceptions of nuclear energy in Southeast Asia

Adopting the social amplification of risk framework, this research examines how media attention and trust in nuclear-related institutions shape public perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with nuclear energy, as well as support for it, in countries at an early stage of nuclear energy development. Analyses of survey data (N = 4,501) from three Southeast Asian countries—Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia—revealed that media attention was positively associated with trust in scientists, business operators, governments, and non-profit environmental organizations in all three countries. Trust in these institutions was positively associated with the perception of benefits associated with nuclear energy. Trust in scientists was positively related to the perception of risks associated with nuclear energy. The findings supported and extended the social amplification of risk framework. They also provide practical implications for designing communication strategies and implementing nuclear energy policies.