Emily White

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MMCC2016

The Climate Debate

‘How should media representations of climate change frame the issue in order to stimulate
societal change?’

Media representations of climate change hold responsibility for framing the issue in order to
stimulate societal change. As media representations have a significant impact on public
opinion on a variety of topics, including climate change, it is crucial that they are framing the
issue in a way that motivates the public to get involved and seek change. With the recent
increase in importance around the issue, the average person is more likely to be exposed to
media representations, which has been one of the leading factors into the stimulation for
societal change. Framing is “the process by which people develop a particular
conceptualization of an issue or reorient their thinking about an issue” (Chong and
Druckman, 2007, p.102). Framing requires a selection of key aspects of the particular issue,
in this case climate change and making it more significant in the communication process,
which will ultimately determine how the issue is understood to the public. In this paper, I will
be referring to the three types of frames concerning climate change that is the primary impact
on the publics understanding of the issue. The three are the economic costs and benefits
regarding climate improvement, the conservative ideology and principles regarding climate
change and the uncertainty and risks that come with the issue. The way news outlets convey
these frames will consequently determine the likeliness for public support in taking climate
action, such as voting for environmentally friendly candidates, making conscious efforts in
their own personal choices to reduce their own carbon footprint or increasing their
engagement with political activism. However, if certain frames lead people to consider
climate science as untrustworthy or climate change being costly, we expect their inclination
to support the issue and engage in action to vary. The extent of how media representations
frame climate change plays a crucial role in determining the action from the public, making it
extremely important for media outlets to encourage a stimulation towards societal change.

1. Economic cost and benefits

The three framing factors are believed to be the driving stimulation around societal change.
Economic costs and benefits play a crucial role in determining the popularity for the public to
get involved. Studies show that a fluctuating economy will affect the level of concern around
environmental issues (Kahn and Kotchen, 2010). People are less inclined to support climate
change in an unsuccessful economy and therefore, the stimulation for societal change is
correlated with a successful economy. Studies have also shown that cost-framed messages
will be effective in regards to motivating the public to seek change towards the issue as if it is
deemed to result in possible benefits, the support will increase and should be taken into close
consideration by news outlets when framing climate change to the public. Furthermore, if
climate change is perceived as being beneficial, the support is increased for action to be
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taken. The debate around the economic costs and benefits concerning climate change in the
public eye is seen to argue the potentially detrimental economic costs in climate mitigation,
such as increased energy costs, in correlation to the positives of investing in renewable
energy sources and the potential that these sources have in renewing the economy (Nisbet,
2009). Media representations of climate change is to frame the issue fairly, in hope to
stimulate the publics desire to engage in necessary climate change.

2. Conservative ideology

Frames in the media around climate change has seen to be conflicted with the left-right
ideological conflict. People’s attitudes towards climate action is shaped through their
ideology and values. Society is skeptical of environmental issues due to the justification on
regulation and government intervention (Kahan et al., 2011). Conservative society members
are less inclined to support policy solutions towards climate change. Therefore, scholarly
research has found that accentuating solutions that are deemed to be market-friendly towards
climate change will increase the support from conservatives. The debate recently discussed is
the main factor as to why conservatives are less inclined to support climate change because of
the potential detrimental economic damage regarding energy costs from sources that support
climate change, such as solar energy. As political elites have play an influential role towards
public opinion, it is important that media representations regulate the degree in which
ideological frames and arguments regarding climate change are conveyed to the public in
order to stimulate societal change rather than create negative opinions towards the issue.

3. Uncertainty and risks

The last important frame concerning climate change within media representations is the
discourse of uncertainty and risks involving climate change. “Scientific uncertainty exists
when there is a lack of scientific knowledge or disagreement over the knowledge that exists
at a given point in time (Friedman et al., 1999). With regards to climate change, the lack of
knowledge around the existence or the actual cause of the issue means that there will be
difficulties with predicting the future and the consequences that may be of result. Journalists
are often confronted with uncertainties considering the debates are an important factor in
making a news story worthy and interesting. Therefore, journalists state how uncertainty
affects the publics desire in supporting climate change. Psychological studies have shown
how uncertainty usually has a negative impact on public behaviours as it allows people to
self-narrate their own perception around the issue. Media representation shouldn’t focus on
uncertainty as it can be the leading cause to the decrease of public support in climate change
because they cannot trust what will come of the recommended actions. News outlets are to
ensure they keep a trustworthy balance towards both sides of the debate in order to increase
public support on the information they are conveying. When scientific information is
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presented as a debate, it complicates the publics perception of the science and therefore, can
decrease their likeliness to support climate change. Scientific uncertainty correlates with risk.
Discourse around the impacts of possible climate change involves frames that convey the
seriousness of climate impacts. With the increase towards the science of climate change, it
has proven to impose a high risk of climate inaction. This has encouraged society to engage
as a collective and take action with this issue. As a result, frames that emphasise the dangers
of climate change has stimulated societal change and therefore, should be taken into
consideration by media representations.

The importance that media representations of climate change play in motivating the public to
seek societal change in the issue is immense. As media representations are the primary source
in which persuade public opinion, it is crucial that they frame the complex issue of climate
change as factually as necessary in order to gain trust and therefore, motivate members of the
public to participate in societal change.

References

- Friedman, C. (2021). Climate Change Influences on Marine Infectious Diseases:

- Kahan, D. (2021). Culture, Politics and Climate Change. Retrieved 28 March 2021,
from https://books.google.com.au/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=wvEjAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA203&dq=Kahan+et+al.,
+2011+climate&ots=_bwTuHluwi&sig=rN-3KYCXD-8PqtN3-
__r9na4aYE#v=onepage&q=Kahan%20et%20al.%2C%202011%20climate&f=false
- Druckman, C. (2021). Framing Theory. Retrieved 28 March 2021, from
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.polisci.10.072805.103054
- KOTCHEN, M. (2021). BUSINESS CYCLE EFFECTS ON CONCERN ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE: THE CHILLING EFFECT OF RECESSION | Climate Change
Economics. Retrieved 28 March 2021, from
https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S2010007811000292
- Nisbet, M. (2021). A public health frame arouses hopeful emotions about climate
change. Retrieved 28 March 2021, from
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-012-0513-6