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Media coverage of climate change: An international comparison

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  • Ralf Barkemeyer
  • Frank Figge
  • Andreas Hoepner
  • Diane Holt
  • Johannes Marcelus Kraak
  • Pei-Shan Yu

Abstract

We present an international comparison of broadsheet newspaper coverage of climate change. We employ two complementary theoretical lenses, multiple streams theory and institutional theory, to explore why climate change has become headline news in some countries but has received comparatively little coverage in others. The study utilises a worldwide sample across 41 different countries for the year 2008, covering 113 leading national broadsheet newspapers. A cross-sectional regression model is used to identify whether and how a range of contextual factors impact coverage of climate change. To a certain extent, a country’s direct exposure to climate change and the measures that have been taken to combat global warming influence the position of climate change on the media agenda. Crucially, however, we identify a number of contextual factors that impact climate change-related media coverage in different national contexts. In particular, we find a significantly positive relationship between regulatory quality and levels of media coverage. At the same time, unemployment trends are significantly negatively related to media attention to climate change. Gross domestic product per capita does not help to explain levels of climate change-related media coverage. In other words, climate change appears to have moved beyond simply being a ‘rich country issue’.

Suggested Citation

  • Ralf Barkemeyer & Frank Figge & Andreas Hoepner & Diane Holt & Johannes Marcelus Kraak & Pei-Shan Yu, 2017. "Media coverage of climate change: An international comparison," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(6), pages 1029-1054, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:35:y:2017:i:6:p:1029-1054
    DOI: 10.1177/0263774X16680818
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    1. Shiwei Fan & Lan Xue & Jianhua Xu, 2018. "What Drives Policy Attention to Climate Change in China? An Empirical Analysis through the Lens of People’s Daily," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Andreas G. F. Hoepner & Savio Dimatteo & Joe Schauld & Pei-Shan Yi & Mirco Musolesi, 2017. "Tweeting About Sustainability: Can Emotional Nowcasting Discourage Greenwashing?," ICMA Centre Discussion Papers in Finance icma-dp2017-02, Henley Business School, University of Reading.
    3. Mike S. Schäfer & James Painter, 2021. "Climate journalism in a changing media ecosystem: Assessing the production of climate change‐related news around the world," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), January.
    4. Barkemeyer, Ralf & Faugère, Christophe & Gergaud, Olivier & Preuss, Lutz, 2020. "Media attention to large-scale corporate scandals: Hype and boredom in the age of social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 385-398.
    5. Myanna Lahsen & Gabriela de Azevedo Couto & Irene Lorenzoni, 2020. "When climate change is not blamed: the politics of disaster attribution in international perspective," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(2), pages 213-233, January.
    6. Ralf Barkemeyer & Philippe Givry & Frank Figge, 2018. "Trends and patterns in sustainability-related media coverage: A classification of issue-level attention," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 36(5), pages 937-962, August.
    7. Svatava Janoušková & Tomáš Hák & Vlastimil Nečas & Bedřich Moldan, 2019. "Sustainable Development—A Poorly Communicated Concept by Mass Media. Another Challenge for SDGs?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Galina Williams, 2023. "Temporal Stability of Attitudes towards Climate Change and Willingness to Pay for the Emissions Reduction Options in Queensland, Australia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-22, May.
    9. Astrid Artner-Nehls & Sandra Uthes & Jana Zscheischler & Peter H. Feindt, 2022. "How the Agricultural Press Addresses the Slurry–Water Nexus: A Text Mining Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-22, August.

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