Media coverage of climate change – current trends, strengths and weaknesses
This project undertakes a comprehensive survey of the role of the media in informing and communicating climate change. It looks at how media coverage has shaped discourse and action – in complex, dynamic and non-linear ways – at the interface of climate science and policy. Moreover, this work explores influences of media on practices, politics and public opinion and understanding related to climate change. Research on these interactions are delineated through work that has been undertaken in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Honduras, Jamaica, Sri Lanka and Zambia. Through these examinations of media coverage of climate change, links are then made to related work on public perception and the relationship to international assistance.
Max Boykoff and Maria Mansfield are tracking newspaper coverage of climate change or global warming in 50 newspapers across 20 countries and 6 continents. To view the latest graph see: 2004-2008 World Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming (updated monthly)