Climate Change and the Media brings together an international group of scholars to discuss one of the most important issues in human history: climate change. Since public understanding of the issue relies heavily on media coverage, the media plays a pivotal role in the way we address it. This edited collection - the first scholarly work to examine the relationship between climate change and the media - examines the changing nature of media coverage around the world, from the USA, the UK, and Europe, to China, Australasia, and the developing world. Chapters consider the impact of public relations and fictional programming, the relationship between public understanding and media coverage, and the impact of the media industries themselves on climate change. At a time when governments must take action to alleviate the catastrophic risk that climate change poses, this collection expertly details the pivotal role the media plays in this most fundamental of issues.
«It is vital that people understand the scale and urgency of the action that is required to reduce the huge risks of climate change. This action will arise, in large measure, from the pressures that people place on decision-makers. And action is also required by consumers, investors, workers and citizens. The public needs informed analysis and serious comment from the media, rather than the gladiatorial rough-housing that has sometimes characterized coverage of climate change. This book provides a timely analysis of and insight on these issues. Communication and reflection are vital on this fundamental issue and the basic science requires that we move quickly. Journalism and the media more generally will be vital.» (Lord Stern of Brentford, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment)