International Institutions - Climate Change and the Media

Neil T. Gavin - 'Addressing Climate Change: a media perspective' Governments committed to national and international action to reduce levels of CO2 operate in an environment they wish to shape and control Success/attempts to manage global warming threat will be condition by - types to legislative machinery available, structure of party and governmental machineries, nature of party-political competition Another factor is the mass media, and its coverage of climate change, and its response to legislative initiatives 'Mediatisation' or politics in contemporary society Politicians are especially sensitive to the way in which the media handle issues like climate change - fearing the media may shape the public's perception or influence the public's opinions and attitudes not only about why and wherefores of the issue but also about government performance Media deeply involved in the concept of the 'public sphere' - where common concerns and societal problems are defined and debated, issues aired, public opinion is formed MEDIA CONTEXT AND THE PROBLEM FACING GOVERNMENTS Heated debate about the quality of mediated politics in Britain - 'optimists' and 'pessimists' Power of the media to set the public agenda Politicians consistently act in anticipation of what they perceive to be the media's influence on public attitudes Optimists of the media believe that TV journalists successfully negotiate a delicate balance between educative and entertaining commentary Pessimists of the media believe that even in broadcasts journalism the division between news and comment is eroding Concern that the media will not treat initiatives or climate change with the seriousness they deserve As a result ^ climate change may not be high enough on the agenda to stimulate the sort of public concern that prompts concerted political action or turning public attention away from climate change British TV coverage of climate change is limited and far outweighed by stories on health or the economy POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Limited coverage is unlikely to have convinced readers that climate change is a serious problem warranting immediate, decisive and potentially costly action Media coverage has accounted for some aspects of current government policy - targets extend into future that the current political generation will not live to see Even is the British government wanted to push climate change further up the media agenda, for instance, it may not be in a position to shape the debate that takes place The media most comfortable with material that has intrinsic 'newsworthiness' Simon Lewis - "impact of climate change on human health and morality is difficult to quantify. There is no comparison group of people not exposed to climate change." Journalists may struggle to connect weather-related events to climate change in a way that will cause citizens to take note of persuade politicians to act GLOBAL CLIMATE, GLOBAL SOLUTIONS, DOMESTIC MEDIA Not enough to raise the profile of climate change in one EU member state - need coverage across a range of countries Key element is the 'global' in 'global warming' - international dimensions Al Gore - "we are one people, on one planet, we have one future, one destiny, we must pursue it together" Climate change must be pursued at national, supranational and international levels Imposes on European businesses may have implications on the trade within and beyond the EU Use of science, not just political - UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) CONCLUSIONS Global warming is 'stronger than expected and sooner than expected' Danger that climate change may tip into a state of irreparable turmoil Climate change will continue to force itself into media agendas around the globe