Impact of new media use on farmers’ willingness to use clean energy: the role of topography and agricultural income

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms by which new media use (NMU), media trust (MT), and ecological cognition (EC) influence willingness to use clean energy (WTUCE), with the aim of promoting the development of clean energy and improving the rural ecological environment. We employed a structural equation model to investigate the impact of NMU, EC, and MT on WTUCE. The users who answered the questionnaire were mainly from the Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan provinces in northern China. The study produced the following findings: (i) NMU directly affects the WTUCE of farmers. EC positively affects farmers’ WTUCE. NMU positively affects the EC level of rural families. (ii) MT has a moderating effect on the relationship between NMU and EC. EC has a mediating effect on the relationship between NMU and farmers’ WTUCE. (iii) Compared with plains-type areas, the higher the degree of MT in mountainous areas is, the greater the role of NMU in EC, and it plays a moderating role. Compared with that in mountainous areas, the direct effect of NMU on EC was 21.43% greater in plains areas, and the direct effect was stronger. (iv) Compared with those with a high proportion of nonagricultural income, the degree of MT of those with a low proportion of nonagricultural income is greater, the effect of NMU on EC is greater, and it plays a moderating role. Compared with the low nonagricultural income ratio, NMU for a high nonagricultural income ratio has a stronger direct effect on EC (14.30%), and the direct effect is stronger. This study enriches our understanding of the mechanisms of rural families’ WTUCE based on EC. It also provides theoretical support and practical experience, based on NMU, for the effective promotion of clean energy and energy transformation and upgrading.