Framing divestment: A decade of media discourse on fossil fuel divestment in higher education

The fossil fuel divestment movement has emerged as a significant force in climate activism. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of public discourse on fossil fuel divestment in higher education, offering novel insights into the complex interplay between key actors, drivers, and actions that shape institutional responses. Drawing on a dataset of 3,474 news articles spanning a decade, we employ a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative interpretation. Our findings reveal distinct framing patterns across stakeholder groups, highlighting a notable disconnect between student demands and institutional responses. We identify how higher education institutions strategically reframe fossil fuel divestment demands through alternative narratives, illuminating the challenges of implementing sustainability in higher education. Theoretically, this work extends social movement and sustainability transitions literature by demonstrating how competing narratives influence institutional change processes. We contribute to these theories by elucidating the role of media framing in legitimizing or delegitimizing climate activism strategies. Practically, our analysis offers actionable insights for activists and decision makers navigating the complex landscape of institutional responses to climate action. Our findings have notable implications for understanding how framing strategies can be leveraged to drive sustainability transitions in higher education and beyond, offering a timely contribution to debates on the role of institutional change for sustainability.