Examining the Content of COVID-19 Vaccination Misinformation Videos in Switzerland

Humprecht, E. & Kessler, S. H. (2024). Unveiling Misinformation on YouTube: Examining the Content of COVID-19 Vaccination Misinformation Videos in Switzerland. Frontiers in Communication, 9, 1250024. DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1250024

Social media platforms like YouTube can exacerbate the challenge of ensuring public adherence to health advisories during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to the spread of misinformation. This study delves into the propagation of antivaccination sentiment on YouTube in Switzerland, examining how different forms of misinformation contribute to this phenomenon. Through content analysis of 450 German- and French-language YouTube videos, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of completely and partially false information regarding COVID-19 vaccination within the Swiss context. Our findings show that completely false videos were more prevalent, often embedded with conspiracy theories and skepticism toward authorities. Notably, over one-third of the videos featured partially false information that masquerades as scientifically substantiated, associated with higher view counts and greater user engagement. Videos reaching the widest audiences were marked by strategies of commercialization and emotionalization. The study highlights the insidious nature of partially false information in Switzerland and its potential for greater impact due to its seemingly credible presentation. These findings underscore the need for a multifaceted response to misinformation, including enhancing digital literacy among the public, promoting accurate content creation, and fostering collaborations between health authorities and social media platforms to ensure that evidence-based information is prominently featured and accessible. Addressing the subtleties of misinformation is critical for fostering informed public behavior and decision-making during health emergencies.

COVID-19 Misinformation on YouTube: Impact and Subsequent Online Information Searches

Kessler, S. H. & Humprecht, E. (2023). COVID-19 Misinformation on YouTube: An Analysis of Its Impact and Subsequent Online Information Searches for Verification. Digital Health, 9, 1-25. DOI: 10.1177/20552076231177131

Objectives: COVID-19 vaccination misinformation on YouTube can have negative effects on users. Some, after being exposed to such misinformation, may search online for information that either debunks or confirms it. This study's objective is to examine the impact of YouTube videos spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination and the influencing variables, as well as subsequent information seeking and its effect on attitudes toward vaccination.

Methods: In this observational and survey study, we used a three-group pre-test and post-tests design (N = 106 participants). We examined the effects of YouTube videos containing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination on attitudes toward vaccination via surveys, employed screen recordings with integrated eye tracks to examine subsequent online information searches, and again surveyed participants to examine the effects of the individual searches on their attitudes.

Results: Receiving misinformation via video tended to have negative effects, mostly on unvaccinated participants. After watching the video, they believed and trusted less in the effectiveness of the vaccines. Internet searches led to more positive attitudes toward vaccination, regardless of vaccination status or prior beliefs. The valences of search words entered and search duration were independent of the participants’ prior attitudes. Misinforming content was rarely selected and perceived (read). In general, participants were more likely to perceive supportive and mostly neutral information about vaccination.

Conclusion: Misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination on YouTube can have a negative impact on recipients. Unvaccinated citizens in particular are a vulnerable group to online misinformation; therefore, it is important to take action against misinformation on YouTube. One approach could be to motivate users to verify online content by doing their own information search on the internet, which led to positive results in the study.

Informedness, Information Behaviours and Information Deficits Related to COVID-19 and Prevention Measures

Kessler, S. H., Cano Pardo, M. S., Jobin, A., & Georgi, F. (2022). How Informed are the Swiss about Covid-19 and Prevention Measures? Results of a Survey on Information Awareness, Behaviour, and Deficits. European Journal of Health Communication, 3(3), 118-142. DOI: 10.47368/ejhc.2022.306

Since the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic began, large amounts of (mis)information have been disseminated worldwide. We conducted an online survey in Switzerland (N = 1,129) in April 2021 to ask respondents which information has received too little attention in public discourse, which measures help containing coronavirus infection and Covid-19, and about subjectively perceived Covid-19 misinformation. Content analysis of the open answers revealed that vaccination and its potential side effects, aspects related to political measures, psychological and social aspects, as well as science and research topics deserved more attention in the eyes of the respondents, mostly from politics or media. The most frequently mentioned effective measures were social distancing, wearing masks, general hygiene, and vaccination. Notably, the number of measures mentioned was related to the degree to which the pandemic affected individuals subjectively, trust in public institutions, and their individual level of science-related populism. Swiss residents with less trust in public institutions and who consume less news media on Covid-19 are more likely to believe misinformation on (in)effective measures against the virus. Most respondents encountered Covid-19 misinformation and could name examples, including sources. Education and information use affect the frequency of subjectively encountered misinformation. More highly educated people can name more misinformation instances encountered than less educated people.

People’s perceptions and acceptance of food biotechnology

Bearth, A., Kaptan, G., & Kessler, S. H. (2022). Genome-edited versus genetically-modified tomatoes: an experiment on people’s perceptions and acceptance of food biotechnology in the UK and Switzerland. In Agriculture and Human Values, 39, 1117-1131. DOI: 10.1007/s10460-022-10311-8

Biotechnology might contribute to solving food safety and security challenges. However, gene technology has been under public scrutiny, linked to the framing of the media and public discourse. The study aims to investigate people’s perceptions and acceptance of food biotechnology with focus on transgenic genetic modification versus genome editing. An online experiment was conducted with participants from the United Kingdom (n = 490) and Switzerland (n = 505). The participants were presented with the topic of food biotechnology and more specifically with experimentally varied vignettes on transgenic and genetic modification and genome editing (scientific uncertainty: high vs. low, media format: journalistic vs. user-generated blog). The results suggest that participants from both countries express higher levels of acceptance for genome editing compared to transgenic genetic modification. The general and personal acceptance of these technologies depend largely on whether the participants believe the application is beneficial, how they perceive scientific uncertainty, and the country they reside in. Our findings suggest that future communication about gene technology should focus more on discussing trade-offs between using an agricultural technologies and tangible and relevant benefits, instead of a unidimensional focus on risk and safety.

Debunking health myths on the Internet

Kessler, S. H. & Bachmann, E. (2022). Debunking health myths on the internet: The persuasive effect of (visual) online communication. Journal of Public Health, 30, 1823-1835. DOI: 10.1007/s10389-022-01694-3

Aim: Developing evidence-based recommendations on how to debunk health-related misinformation and more specific health myths in (online) communication is important for individual health and the society. The present study investigated the effects of debunking/correction texts created according to the latest research findings with regard to four different health myths on recipients’ belief, behaviour and feelings regarding the myths. Further, the study investigated the effects of different visualisations (machine-technical created image, diagram, image of an expert, message without an image) in the debunking texts.

Subject and methods: A representative sample of German Internet users (N = 700) participated in an anonymous online survey experiment with a 4 (myths) × 4 (picture) mixed study design.

Results: The results show that receiving an online news article that refutes a widespread health myth with or without the use of an image can significantly change the attitudes of the recipients toward this myth. The most influential variable was the attributed credibility: the more credible a debunking text is for a recipient, the more corrective effectiveness it has. However, the corrective messages did not differ in their persuasive effects depending on the image types used.

Conclusion: The results offer an optimistic outlook on the correction of health-related misinformation and especially health myths and insight into why and how people change their beliefs (or not) and how beliefs in health myths can be reduced. The findings can be used by journalists, scientists, doctors and many other actors for efficient (online) communication.

How academics in Germany, Austria and Switzerland understand and practice science communication.

Kessler, S. H., Schäfer, M. S., Johann, D., & Rauhut, H. (2022). Mapping mental models of science communication: How academics in Germany, Austria and Switzerland understand and practice science communication. Public Understanding of Science, 31(6), 711-731. DOI: 10.1177/09636625211065743

The mental models that individual scholars have of science communication – how it works, what it is supposed to achieve and so on – shape the way these academics actually communicate to the public. But these mental models, and their prevalence among scholars, have rarely been analysed. Drawing on a largescale, representative web survey of academics at universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (n = 15,778) from 2020, we identify three mental models that are prevalent among scholars, and that correspond to conceptual models found in science communication theory: ‘Public Understanding of Science’, ‘Public Engagement with Science’ and ‘Strategic Science Communication’. The results suggest that the ‘Strategic Science Communication’ model is particularly prevalent among academics in precarious employment and female scholars. Extrinsically motivated academics, that is, those under pressure to win grants, also seem to use science communication more strategically. The ‘Public Engagement’ model is prevalent among older and female scholars, while ‘Public Understanding’ is particularly prevalent among scholars who find their work especially meaningful. Findings also reveal that academics’ mental models largely align with the way they practice science communication.

Effects of news factors on users' news attention and selective exposure on a news aggregator website

Engelmann, E., Luebke, S., & Kessler, S. H. (2021). Effects of news factors on users' news attention and selective exposure on a news aggregator website. Journalism Studies, 22(6), 780-798. DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2021.1889395

Do journalistic relevance criteria still matter in digital news environments where news is selected and aggregated by algorithms? This article investigates how news factors (e.g., conflict, power elite) influence users’ news attention and selective exposure on the news aggregator website Google News. Alongside direct effects, the study also examines indirect effects of news factors on users’ news selection processes via media cues of news items on the news aggregator website (e.g., picture, position, and recency). The study relies on the news value theory and analyzes observations of users’ news attention and selective exposure on Google News via eye tracking (N = 47 participants, N = 751 news items). We conducted a content analysis on all news items on Google News that users paid attention to. The results show that news factors do not have direct effects on news attention and selective exposure, but rather indirect effects mediated via media cues of news items. Consequently, the traditional idea of newsworthiness based on professional journalistic norms continues to play a role on a news aggregator where news is selected by algorithms.

The role of sex and gender on search behavior for political information on the Internet

Kessler, S. H. & Langmann, K. (2021). The role of sex and gender on search behavior for political information on the Internet. Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research, 46(4), 516-539. DOI: 10.1515/commun-2019-0137

Previous studies have emphasized a person’s biological sex as a factor which influences online search behavior. This study aims to investigate how people (N = 44 students) search online for political information (N = 220 search tasks) and if gendered online search exists. We examined online search behavior via eye tracking while the participants searched for information about political party positions on the Internet. A content analysis of the eye tracking data fol-lowed and was evaluated with a special focus on the role of biological sex and social gender, and the relationship of both factors with other variables, such as self-reported prior political knowledge, political interest, and Internet skills (via an online survey). The results accord with previous studies in that the sex influ-ences the online search process. However, this relationship was partially medi-ated by self-reported political interest and prior knowledge. This outcome calls for a more critical use of the sex variable in reference to political online search behavior, and the inclusion of sex and gender related variables.

Diseases and emotions: An automated content analysis of health narratives in inquiries to an online health consultation service

Kessler, S. H. & Schmidt-Weitmann, S. (2021). Diseases and emotions: An automated content analysis of health narratives in inquiries to an online health consultation service. Health Communication, 36(2), 226-235. DOI:10.1080/10410236.2019.1673950

The internet is increasingly used as a source of health-related information by individuals making a medical decision. Online consultation services offer a safe and anonymous time- and place-independent space in which users can ask health-related questions combined with related individual health narratives, including associated emotions. Research on emotions in health narratives and medical communication is still at an early stage. This study investigates the users of an online consultation service themselves and the content of their inquiries related to health narratives, queried diseases, and the emotions expressed. An automated content analysis of all online inquiries to the University Hospital Zurich from 09/08/1999 to 07/06/2018 was conducted (N = 55,476 inquiries). The majority of users were female. Over time, however, significantly more men and older adults began to submit inquiries. The wide variety of medical inquiries submitted to the service extended across all categories in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and correlated with the statistical incidence of diseases in Switzerland. In line with theoretical assumptions about mood management and mood adjustment, users’ health narratives most frequently expressed negative emotions like suffering, fear, worry, and shame. The results find support for a close link between health narratives and emotions. By providing an anonymous space where users can talk about diseases that may be a source of stigma or shame, online consultation services can empower patients and promote health literacy through the provision of individualized health information.

Learning from science news via interactive and animated data visualizations: An investigation combining eye tracking, online survey, and cued retrospective reporting

Greussing, E., Kessler, S. H., & Boomgaarden, H. G. (2020). Learning from science news via interactive and animated data visualizations: An investigation combining eye tracking, online survey, and cued retrospective reporting. Science Communication, 42(6), 803-823. DOI: 10.1177/1075547020962100

Relying on a multimethod approach with eye tracking, cued retrospective reporting, and a memory test, this experimental study (N = 45) shows how individuals engage with static, interactive, and interactive-animated data visualizations embedded in online science news. The results suggest that interactivity and animation engage participants most strongly: The second part of the news article is fixated the longest by participants exposed to the interactive-animated visualization, which translates into higher learning outcomes. However, the dynamic process of news reception requires a nuanced understanding of how users attend to visual and textual parts of a message to make informed statements about their effectiveness.

Eyeing CRISPR on Wikipedia: Using eye tracking to assess what lay audiences look for to learn about CRISPR and Genetic Engineering

Kessler, S. H., Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M., S. (2020). Eyeing CRISPR on Wikipedia: Using eye tracking to assess what lay audiences look for to learn about CRISPR and Genetic Engineering. Environmental Communication, 14(7), 886-903. DOI: 10.1080/17524032.2020.1723668

CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing is a monumental leap in genetic engineering with considerable societal implications – but it is a complex procedure that is difficult to understand for non-scientists. Wikipedia has been shown to be an important source of information about scientific topics. But research on search, selection, and reception processes on Wikipedia is scarce. By means of eye tracking and survey data, this study investigates how users find information about genetic engineering and CRISPR on Wikipedia and what influences search behaviors and outcomes. An observational study was conducted in which 67 participants searched for general information about genetic engineering and specific information about CRISPR. Results indicate that participants looking for specific information about CRISPR searched shorter, visited fewer Wikipedia pages, and followed shorter and more straightforward search paths than participants looking for general information about genetic engineering. Moreover, prior knowledge and involvement affected users’ browsing behavior. Prior knowledge and search behavior influenced search outcomes.

Science communication research in the German-speaking countries: A content Analysis of conference abstracts

Kessler, S. H., Fähnrich, B., & Schäfer, M. S. (2020). Science communication research in the German-speaking countries: A content Analysis of conference abstracts. Studies in Communication Sciences, 19(2), 243-251.

The study examines the state of science communication research in the German-speaking countries. Based on a standardized content analysis of all extended abstracts submitted to the annual conferences of the German Communication Association’s science communication division from 2014 to 2018 (N = 141), it describes the respective scholarly community, its research foci and objects. The results indicate that science communication has developed toward a well-established community and marks an institutionalization of the research field. Furthermore, the findings of the content analysis indicate that science communication research in the German-speaking countries shows parallels to international developments in terms of research foci, objects, and analytical models, but also differences regarding theories and methods.

Why do we click? Investigating reasons for user selection on a news aggregator website

Kessler, S. H. & Engelmann, I. (2019). Why do we click? Investigating reasons for user selection on a news aggregator website. Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research, 44(2), 225-247. DOI:10.1515/commun-2018-2003

The aim of this study is to analyze the reasons behind users’ selection of news results on the news aggregator website, Google News, and the role that news factors play in this selection. We assume that user’s cognitive elaboration of users influences their news selection. In this study, a multi-method approach is used to obtain a complete picture of the users’ news selection reasoning: an open survey, a closed survey, and a content analysis of screen recording data. The results were determined from online news selection of 90 news results from 47 users on Google News. Different news values could be identified as relevant for selection: time-referenced news factors and news factors of social significance were shown to be more important than the news factors of deviance. News cues (presence of a picture, position of a news result, source) were identified as selection reasons regardless of the level of cognitive elaboration during the online browsing process.

Searching online for information about vaccination: Assessing the influence of user-specific cognitive factors using eye-tracking

Kessler, S. H. & Zillich, A. F. (2019). Searching online for information about vaccination: Assessing the influence of user-specific cognitive factors using eye-tracking. Health Communication, 34(10), 1150-1158. DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2018.1465793

In Germany, the Internet is gaining increasing importance for laypeople as a source of health information, including information about vaccination. While previous research has focused on the characteristics of online information about vaccination, this study investigated the influence of relevant user-specific cognitive factors on users’ search behavior for online information about vaccination. Additionally, it examined how searching online for information about vaccination influences users’ attitudes toward vaccination. We conducted an experimental study with 56 undergraduate students from a German university that consisted of a survey and eye-tracking while browsing the Internet, followed by a content analysis of the eye-tracking data. The results show that the users exposed themselves to balanced and diverse online information about vaccination. However, none of the examined cognitive factors (attitude toward vaccination, attitude salience, prior knowledge about vaccination, need for cognition, and cognitive involvement) influenced the amount of time users spent searching the Internet for information about vaccination. Our study was not able to document any effects of attitude-consistent selective exposure to online information about vaccination. In addition, we found no effect on attitude change after having searched the Internet for vaccine-related information. Thus, users’ search behavior regarding vaccination seems to be relatively stable.

Eyes on the frame: Explaining people's online searching behavior in response to TV consumption

Kessler, S. H. & Guenther, L. (2017). Eyes on the frame: Explaining people's online searching behavior in response to TV consumption. Internet Research, 27(2), 303-320. DOI: 10.1108/IntR-01-2016-0015

Purpose Using the internet parallel to or after television (TV) consumption changes the way people receive news. The way information is framed by the media has been found to influence the behavior of news recipients. The purpose of this paper is to hypothesize that the exposure to TV media frames would affect a lay audience’s online information-seeking behavior. Design/methodology/approach In an experiment combining eye tracking and content analysis, participants (n=72) were exposed to one of three TV clips with different media frames (based on a full-sample content analysis) that focused on Alzheimer’s disease. After exposure, participants informed themselves about the issue online. Eye tracking allows to investigate whether individuals mainly scan information, or whether they compute information on a higher level of attention (use more thorough deliberate comparison of information and really reading information). Findings Three different frames of online content were identified. Framing was found to influence the individual online searching and reading of information on a descriptive level (entering search words and viewing website content) to some degree, but not on a procedural level (such as selecting online search results). Research limitations/implications This study makes a significant contribution to the literature embedding an established theoretical process like framing effects into the internet literature. Regarding the broader theoretical context, this study shed some light on cross-media framing effects on online behavior. Applying the psychological perspective of framing theory to explain and predict online searching behavior is beneficial for specific types of online search behavior. Main limitations are the not representative student sample and the forced task that participants had to inform themselves about Alzheimer’s disease online. Practical implications The results have practical implications for the creation of TV-related websites. There can be a positive, profitable synergy of TV and online websites. The websites can complement the TV programs with the focus on information needs of the recipients depending on the TV activated audience frames. Therefore, media managers would do well to plan the contents of their websites as internet-based resources that meet the activated information needs. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate the framing effects of TV on the online information searching behavior of individuals. A deeper understanding of how media frames, especially from TV, are affecting online information seeking will allow researchers to better explain and predict online user behavior and information needs. But still, more research is needed.

Epistemological dimensions on screen: The role of television presentations in changing conceptions about the nature of knowledge and knowing

Guenther, L.* & Kessler, S. H.* (2017). Epistemological dimensions on screen: The role of television presentations in changing conceptions about the nature of knowledge and knowing. Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research, 42(4), 481-501. DOI: 10.1515/commun-2017-0020 (* equal contribution)

In (in)formal learning scenarios, individuals should develop episte-mological beliefs (i.e., individual conceptions about the nature of knowledgeand knowing) that are advantageous for understanding everyday science- andhealth-related information. To date, researchers measuring how to foster stu-dents’ discipline-specific epistemological beliefs have often tested researcher-designed texts in short-term interventions. Applying this logic to audio-visualstimuli, television clips might also affect (e.g., change) the epistemological be-liefs of students. To test this assumption, three different television stimuli onthe subject of Alzheimer’s disease with varying levels depicting the presentedknowledge (as more advantageous, moderate, or less advantageous) weretherefore selected by means of a content analysis, and their effects tested on asample of 72 students using a pre-/post-test questionnaire. The results showedsome partial support for the assumption that the epistemological beliefs of par-ticipants could become less advantageous when they are exposed to televisionclips depicting knowledge as moderate or less advantageous.

Without evidence in talk show olymp. Evidence patterns and actors in political talk shows about the Greek crisis.

Kessler, S. H. & Lachenmaier, C. (2017). Ohne Belege in den Talkshow-Olymp. Belegmuster und Akteure in Polit-Talkshows zur Griechenlandkrise. [Without evidence in talk show olymp. Evidence patterns and actors in political talk shows about the Greek crisis.] Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft, 65(1), 64-82. DOI: 10.5771/1615-634X-2017-1-64

In Germany, the television format of political talk shows is vital to public opinion formation on political issues. Important social and political topics, such as the Greek financial crisis, are discursively worked through in these shows. Our study focuses on general patterns of evidence in these programmes, and on the reasoning used by talk show guests, particularly the manner of reasoning used to provide proof of argument. Using a standardized content analysis we investigated twelve episodes of the four best-rated German political talk shows aired in 2015, in which a total of 60 talk show guests debated the issue of the financial crisis in Greece. The results show actor-specific preferences in the selection of evidence provided in the debate of the shows. We employed the calculation method provided by the Dempster-Shafer Theory of Evidence as well as a cluster analysis, and were able to identify three topic-specific evidence patterns we call Balanced, Supporting and Disproving Evidence Structures. The latter was most frequently used by the talk show guests. Similarly, in online and print reporting, the results of this study suggest that the coverage of the Greek crisis is rather one-sided; i.e. Greece-critical.

On- or off-camera speaker? Measuring the credibility of various sources of evidence in science TV programs

Kessler, S. H. & Guenther, L. (2015). On- oder Off-Sprecher? Zur Glaubwürdigkeit verschiedener Evidenzquellen in TV-Wissenschaftsmagazinen. [On- or off-camera speaker? Measuring the credibility of various sources of evidence in science TV programs]. Studies in Communication|Media, 4(2), 176-188. DOI: 10.5771/2192-4007-2015-2-176

For recipients of mass media, the credibility of sources is particularly important to evaluate represented scientific knowledge. In addition to sources that appear on screen in science TV programs, the off-camera speaker is also one of the typical sources of information providing arguments of evidence for scientific knowledge. In such programs, journalists can arrange multiple argumentations from various sources, either one-sided or controversial; this could, in turn, affect the perceived source’s credibility. In this experiment (N = 120), participants were exposed to manipulated TV-clips about a nanotherapy. The degree of credibility attributed to the off-camera speaker, in comparison to other information sources (such as an expert and an exemplar), and how these attributions differ between one-sided and controversial TV-clips were investigated. The results show that the expert, as a visual source, gained the highest credibility; if the off-camera speaker’s argumentation is controversial compared to the other sources, the recipients’ perception of the reliability of the exemplar increased.

Frames of scientific evidence: How journalists represent the (un)certainty of molecular medicine in science television programs

Ruhrmann, G.*, Guenther, L.*, Kessler, S. H. & Milde, J. (2015). Frames of scientific evidence: How journalists represent the (un)certainty of molecular medicine in science television programs. Public Understanding of Science, 24(6), 681-696. DOI: 10.1177/096366251351064 (* equal contribution) 

For laypeople, media coverage of science on television is a gateway to scientific issues. Defining scientific evidence is central to the field of science, but there are still questions if news coverage of science represents scientific research findings as certain or uncertain. The framing approach is a suitable framework to classify different media representations; it is applied here to investigate the frames of scientific evidence in film clips (n = 207) taken from science television programs. Molecular medicine is the domain of interest for this analysis, due to its high proportion of uncertain and conflicting research findings and risks. The results indicate that television clips vary in their coverage of scientific evidence of molecular medicine. Four frames were found: Scientific Uncertainty and Controversy, Scientifically Certain Data, Everyday Medical Risks, and Conflicting Scientific Evidence. They differ in their way of framing scientific evidence and risks of molecular medicine.

The representation of epistemological dimensions of evidence-based knowledge in TV science magazines. A lesson for educational research

Kessler, S. H., Guenther, L. & Ruhrmann, G. (2014). Die Darstellung epistemologischer Dimensionen von evidenzbasiertem Wissen in TV-Wissenschaftsmagazinen. Ein Lehrstück für die Bildungsforschung. [The representation of epistemological dimensions of evidence-based knowledge in TV science magazines. A lesson for educational research]. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 17(4), 119-139. DOI: 10.1007/s11618-014-0512-7

Since the results of the PISA studies have been introduced to the public, results of empirical educational research have increasingly been published and discussed by the mass media. To understand the (un)certainty of represented evidence of scientific research, laypeople need sophisticated epistemological beliefs. Such beliefs are a premise for the understanding of represented evidence-based knowledge in science television programs and can be simultaneously influenced by media’s implicit representation of epistemological dimensions of scientific knowledge. An empirical content analysis shows how the epistemological dimensions of scientific knowledge are represented in science television programs. Applying framing analysis, the relationship between typical journalistic styles of science reporting and implicitly represented epistemological dimensions is shown. Based on the results we derive recommendations to improve the public communication of evidence-based knowledge of empirical educational research.