Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10
Previous academic research on climate scepticism has tended to focus more on the way it has been organized, its tactics and its impact on policy outputs than on its prevalence in the media. Most of the literature has centred on the USA, where scepticism first appeared in an organized and politically...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044005 |
| _version_ | 1797748402191073280 |
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| author | James Painter Teresa Ashe |
| author_facet | James Painter Teresa Ashe |
| author_sort | James Painter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous academic research on climate scepticism has tended to focus more on the way it has been organized, its tactics and its impact on policy outputs than on its prevalence in the media. Most of the literature has centred on the USA, where scepticism first appeared in an organized and politically effective form. This letter contrasts the way climate scepticism in its different forms is manifested in the print media in the USA and five other countries (Brazil, China, France, India and the UK), in order to gain insight into how far the US experience of scepticism is replicated in other countries. It finds that news coverage of scepticism is mostly limited to the USA and the UK; that there is a strong correspondence between the political leaning of a newspaper and its willingness to quote or use uncontested sceptical voices in opinion pieces; and that the type of sceptics who question whether global temperatures are warming are almost exclusively found in the US and UK newspapers. Sceptics who challenge the need for robust action to combat climate change also have a much stronger presence in the media of the same two countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:05:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b3801aade814210b705fc5975675650 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:05:12Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b3801aade814210b705fc59756756502023-08-09T14:23:47ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262012-01-017404400510.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044005Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10James Painter0Teresa Ashe1Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford , 13 Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PS, UKDepartment of Politics and Sociology, Birkbeck College, University of London , UKPrevious academic research on climate scepticism has tended to focus more on the way it has been organized, its tactics and its impact on policy outputs than on its prevalence in the media. Most of the literature has centred on the USA, where scepticism first appeared in an organized and politically effective form. This letter contrasts the way climate scepticism in its different forms is manifested in the print media in the USA and five other countries (Brazil, China, France, India and the UK), in order to gain insight into how far the US experience of scepticism is replicated in other countries. It finds that news coverage of scepticism is mostly limited to the USA and the UK; that there is a strong correspondence between the political leaning of a newspaper and its willingness to quote or use uncontested sceptical voices in opinion pieces; and that the type of sceptics who question whether global temperatures are warming are almost exclusively found in the US and UK newspapers. Sceptics who challenge the need for robust action to combat climate change also have a much stronger presence in the media of the same two countries.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044005global climate changeinternational mediaclimate scepticismUSAright-wing politics |
| spellingShingle | James Painter Teresa Ashe Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10 Environmental Research Letters global climate change international media climate scepticism USA right-wing politics |
| title | Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10 |
| title_full | Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10 |
| title_fullStr | Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10 |
| title_short | Cross-national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries, 2007–10 |
| title_sort | cross national comparison of the presence of climate scepticism in the print media in six countries 2007 10 |
| topic | global climate change international media climate scepticism USA right-wing politics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044005 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jamespainter crossnationalcomparisonofthepresenceofclimatescepticismintheprintmediainsixcountries200710 AT teresaashe crossnationalcomparisonofthepresenceofclimatescepticismintheprintmediainsixcountries200710 |