How 'science popularizers' influence public opinion on religion

..."While Dawkins and Collins might both be perceived as having the credentials to make them an expert, research has shown that the U.S. public is generally distrustful of atheists and views them more negatively than most other ethnic, religious and minority groups," said Christopher Scheitle, an assistant professor of sociology at West Virginia University and the paper's lead author. "On the other hand, religious individuals are often perceived as more trustworthy, especially as viewed by other religious individuals."...
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-science-popularizers-opinion-religion.html