Media coverage of climate change: Difference between revisions

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In 1988 in United States, NASA scientist [[James Hansen]] stated that climate change was anthropogenic, that is, man-made. This had a similar result to Thatcher's speeches, drawing public attention to the climate crisis and spurring increased media coverage of the issue. The US and UK are comparable in their coverage of climate change for this reason.<ref name="Gavin-2011">{{cite journal |last1=Gavin |first1=Neil T. |last2=Leonard-Milsom |first2=Liam |last3=Montgomery |first3=Jessica |title=Climate change, flooding and the media in Britain |journal=Public Understanding of Science |date=May 2011 |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=422–438 |doi=10.1177/0963662509353377 |pmid=21796885 }}</ref> Despite evidence for anthropogenic climate change arising as early as the late 19th century, both countries lacked significant media coverage on climate change prior to 1988. However, the trajectory of media coverage in these countries varies significantly after this 1988 increase.
 
For a short period in 1988, the United States had slightly more coverage, but the two countries were quite similar. However, in the following years, the UK consistently produced more articles, and in 2003, it spiked, producing a significantly larger amount of articles. The year 2003 saw the UK and much of Europe experience the hottest summer to date.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The heatwave of 2003 |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/case-studies/heatwave |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Met Office |language=en}}</ref> Temperatures reached up to 38.5&nbsp;°C, which is 101.3&nbsp;°F, resulting in 2,000 deaths in the UK, and more across Europe. This significant event drew the attention of newspapers, therefore increasing the amount of articles produced. For example, in the year following the heatwave, ''[[The Guardian]]'' released an article in March, 2004, warning about even more severe summers that would come. This article included a quote from Dr. Luterbacher, who stated, "We don't know if it will get warmer every year, but the trend is certainly in that direction." The article also claimed that this extreme event was not due to natural causes, suggesting that human activity was responsible.<ref>{{Citecite news |last1=Sample |first1=Ian |last2=correspondent |first2=science |date=2004-03-05 |title=2003 heatwave a record waiting to be broken |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2004/mar/05/weather.climatechange |access-work=The Guardian |date=2023-12-075 March 2004 }}</ref> This fear of worse summers on the way and growing understanding of the human causes continued to shows up in increased media coverage after 2003.
 
In 2001, the National Survey of Public Attitudes to Quality of Life survey found that the public ranked global warming 8th on their list of current concerns. The Office for National Statistics then constructed an additional poll asking the same question but asked about expectations for 20 years ahead. A majority reported that in 20 years time, congestion fumes and noises from traffic would be more concerning than the significant impacts of climate change.<ref name="Hulme-2004" />
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A specific case of the community's reaction to climate change can be seen in the YouthStrike4Climate movement, specifically [[UK Youth Climate Coalition]] (UKYCC) and the UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN). According to Bart Cammaerts, there has been an overall positive media representation of the climate movement from United Kingdom media outlets. It is significant that 60% of the ''Daily Mail'''s articles written about the climate movement were in a negative tone, while the ''BBC'' had over 70% written in a positive tone. There are a range of media outlets covering climate change, and they all have different opinions on this movement.<ref name="Cammaerts-2023">{{cite journal |last1=Cammaerts |first1=Bart |title=The mediated circulation of the United Kingdom's YouthStrike4Climate movement's discourses and actions |journal=European Journal of Cultural Studies |date=February 2024 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=107–128 |doi=10.1177/13675494231165645 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
 
While there are diverse perspectives represented in print media, right-wing newspapers reach far more readers. For example, the right-leaning ''[[Daily Mail]]'' and ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' each circulated more than 1 million copies in 2019, while the left-wing equivalents, [[Daily Mirror]] and [[The Guardian]] only circulated 600,000 copies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mayhew |first=Freddy |date=2019-02-14 |title=National newspaper ABCs: Mail titles see slower year-on-year circulation decline as bulk sales distortion ends |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/media_metrics/national-newspaper-abcs-mail-titles-see-year-on-year-circulation-lift-as-bulk-sales-distortion-ends/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Press Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref> Over time, these right-wing newspapers have published fewer editorials opposing climate action. In 2011, the proportion of these editorials was 5:1 against climate change. In 2021, this ratio had dropped to 1:9. Additionally, articles critical of climate action have shifted away from outright denial of climate change. Instead, these editorials highlight the costs associated with climate action, as well as blame other countries for climate change.<ref>{{Citecite webnews |lastlast1=PraterGabbatiss |firstfirst1=Josh Gabbatiss,|last2=Hayes |first2=Sylvia Hayes,|last3=Goodman |first3=Joe Goodman and|last4=Prater |first4=Tom |title=Analysis: How UK newspapers changed their minds about climate change |url=https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/how-uk-newspapers-changed-minds-climate-change/urlindex.html |access-datework=2023-12-07Carbon |website=interactive.carbonbrief.orgBrief |language=en}}</ref>
 
In the United Kingdom, the youth activism movement played a key role in the increased production of media coverage of climate change.global activist celebrity and media outlets began covering her more and more. From September 17, 2019, to October 3, 2019, 21% of all media coverage on specific people was about Greta Thunberg. This young climate activist's prevalence in the media continued to increase and thus so did the amount of media on the subject.<ref name="Cammaerts-2023" /> With more attention to Greta Thunberg and other young women, there has arguably been increased misogyny regarding [[women in climate change]]. According to Bart Cammaerts, "These disparaging discourses of belittlement also serve to deny children the right to have a voice on environmentalism and politics."<ref name="Cammaerts-2023" />