Patrick O Ansah

Graduate Lecturer

Climate Change Communication, Science Communication, Climate Change and Health, Crisis Communication, Environmental Communication

Patrick Ansah is a Ph.D. Candidate and Graduate Teaching/Research Assistant in the Department of Communication at George Mason University. Patrick’s research focuses on revoking the social license of the fossil fuel industry, and how to mobilize public support for strategies to help prevent the human health and environmental effects caused by climate change and fossil fuel pollution. He brings valuable experience as a journalist and has a global educational background, with a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Christian Service University in Ghana, a master's degree in International Journalism from Shanghai International Studies University in China, and a Diploma in Education from the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.

Selected Publications

Badullovich, N., Tucker, D., Amoako, R., Ansah, P., Davis, B., Zakiyyah, L., Maibach, E. (2024). How does public perception of climate protest influence support for climate action? npj Clim. Action 3, 16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-023-00096-9

Ansah, P. O., Campbell, E., Kotcher, J., Rosenthal, S. A., Leiserowitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2023). Predictors of U.S. public support for climate aid to developing countries. Environmental Research Communications, 5(12), 125003. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad0ff2

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Carman, J., Lee, S., Verner, M., Ballew, M., Ansah, P., Badullovich, N., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., & Marlon, J. (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, December 2022. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Uppalapati, S. S., Ansah, P. O., Campbell, E., Gour, N., Thier, K., Kotcher, J., & Maibach, E. (2023). A Global Review of Research on Effective Advocacy and Communication Strategies at the Intersection of Climate Change and Health. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/6w3qh

Ansah, P. (2022). COVID-19 dialogue on Facebook: Crisis Communication relationship between Ghanaian Authorities and Citizens. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, 5(1), 57–86. https://doi.org/10.30658/jicrcr.5.1.3

Ansah, P. O., Guo K., Zhu, L. (2021) China Model: News Frames and Agenda Setting Effect of Chinese Media during the Global Health Crisis of Covid-19. China Media Research, 17(4).

Tuzov, V., Ansah, P. O., & Boonanant, C. (2020). China’s National Image: The Analysis of Chinese tourists on new media in Thailand. Journal Communication Spectrum, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.36782/jcs.v10i1.1977

Courses Taught

COMM 400: Research Methods in Communication

COMM 200: Communication Theory

COMM 101: Fundamentals of Communication

Education

Present (2025) George Mason University – Ph.D., Communication

2020 Shanghai International Studies University – M.A., International Journalism

2018 University of Education, Winneba – Dip., Education

2014 Christian Service University – B.A., Communication Studies

Recent Presentations

Ansah, P., Aidoo, E., Daoyenikye, F., Afful, M. A. (2024). Media Framing and Stakeholder Representation: Illegal Mining Narratives in Ghana. 107th Annual AEJMC Conference. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Ansah, P. O., Campbell, E., Kotcher, J. & Maibach (2023). Predictors of Support for Foreign to Developing Countries to Fight Global Warming. 17th Conference on Communication and Environment. Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States.

Davis, B., Amoako, R., Horoszko, U., Zakiyyah, H., Ansah, P., Tucker, D., Badullovich, N., Maibach, E. (2023). Does Public Perception of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Influence Support for Climate Action? 17th Conference on Communication and Environment. Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States.

Ansah, P. O., Campbell, E., Kotcher, J. & Maibach (2023). Important Predictors of Support for Climate International Aid to Developing Countries in the United States. 73rd Annual ICA Conference. Toronto, Canada.

Ansah, P. O. & Adade-Yeboah, A. (2021). Framing Analysis of GhanaWeb’s coverage of Deforestation in Ghana within the context of Sustainable Development. International Association for Media and Communication Research, Nairobi, Kenya.

Ansah, P. O. & Guo, K. (2019). Comparing CGTN Africa and BBC Africa’s Coverage of Cyclone Idai in Africa: A Social Responsibility Standard and Geographical Proximity Approach. 5th International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences. Istanbul, Turkey.

In the Media

Wong, C. (2024). Largest post-pandemic survey finds trust in scientists is high. Nature News. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00420-1

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. (2023, December 12). What predicts U.S. public support for climate aid to developing countries? Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/us-public-support-climate-aid/

Reed, D. (2023). Health impacts of climate change sparks support for action. College of Humanities and Social Sciences. https://chss.gmu.edu/articles/19956

Wellcome Trust (2023). Highlighting health impacts of climate change and climate solutions sparks public support for climate action: News. https://wellcome.org/news/highlighting-health-impacts-climate-change-and-climate-solutions-sparks-public-support-climate

Reed, D. (2023). Sharing the health benefits of climate solutions can boost public support for change. George Mason University. https://www.gmu.edu/news/2023-12/sharing-health-benefits-climate-solutions-can-boost-public-support-change

Forschung & Lehre (2024). High trust in researchers worldwide. Forschung & Lehre https://www.forschung-und-lehre.de/forschung/vertrauen-in-forschende-weltweit-hoch-6243

Carstens, P. (2024) Trust in science is high worldwide - but only "below average" in Germany. GEO. https://www.geo.de/wissen/vertrauen-in-die-wissenschaft-ist-weltweit-hoch---in-deutschland-nur--unterdurchschnittlich--34462122.html

Wong, C. (2024). Study finds high level of trust in science worldwide. Spektrum.de https://www.spektrum.de/news/umfragestudie-weltweit-hohes-vertrauen-in-die-wissenschaft/2207391

Wellcome Trust (2023). People may support climate action more strongly if they understand how their health is at risk. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-people-climate-action-strongly-health.html