Transcript Climate Change and Journalisms Practice

Climate Change and
Journalisms Practice:
Ups and Downs
Dr. Ibrahim Saleh
University of Cape Town
[email protected]
The problem
 A huge gap remains between the science of climate
change and the media realities causing difficulties in
transmitting and translating scientific uncertainty into
decisive media narrative that resonates with the
dysfunctional aspects of the science-policy interface
(Bradshaw & Borchers, 2000).
 A continious process of debate between scientists and
journalists because scientists argue that reporting
climate change should not be left to journalists and
journalists accusation of scientists’ refusal to talk to
media, while keeping the narrative ambigious without
simplifying the content.
 A growing lack of explanatory approach that resulted
with less informed public resulting with a diminishing
ability of newsrooms to generate insightful and
balanced reports, as well as limiting our understanding
of how governments and industry are responding to
our global environmental crisis (Saleh, 2010).
Research Thesis
In dealing with journalism practice
and climate change in the current
media globalization, how the local
journalisms in the global south
wrestle with significant questions
related to scope, objectives,
genre, spatial focus, actors and
emphasis.
Literature Review
 The research attempted to review some of the
important studies related to the specifics of the
challenges facing the global south and the
diversity of media narratives in the global south.
 Studies suggested that we could never
underestimate the role of media in shaping
controversies related to climate change on the
national levels. Besides, there must be a
consideration of a number of media effects so as
to contextualize and explain the relationship
between media frames and the symbolic
disputes that are carried out by different political
and social actors; including scientists, and
governments in the global souths with their heavy
foreign-capital-dependent economies.
Methodology
 The research has drawn its empirical findings
of the global south from the work of the
climate change network.
 The comparative content analysis of the
coverage of the Bali Summit (December,
2007) was based on two newspapers in
each of the countries sampled(Bangladesh,
China, Egypt, El Salvador, and Indonesia).
Table 1: Countries
Valid
China
Indonesia
Bangladesh
El Salvador
Egypt
Frequency
167
150
65
65
30
Percent
16,9
15,2
6,6
6,6
3,0
Figure 1:Dates
Date
Frequency
60
40
20
0
011207 031207
051207 071207
091207
111207 131207
151207 171207
191207 211207
Date
Figure (1) refers to the shape of coverage which is more of "S-curve" that is characterized with
slow start, acceleration and flattening when ceiling is reached, but in the coverage here
incomplete diffusion occurred with very rapid early acceleration, and finally slow down the
acceleration As it peaked between (3/12) to (5/12) then decreased till (11/12) and peaked again
till (17/12).
Table 3: Story Sizes
Valid
Missing
Total
Middle (6002500)
Small (filling
item)(less than
600 marks)
Major (< 2500)
Total
0
Frequen
cy
Percent
Valid
Percent
421
42,7
47,6
326
33,1
36,8
138
885
101
986
14,0
89,8
10,2
100,0
15,6
100,0
Table 2: Countries and
voices by gender
Rank
Country
1
El-Salvador
2
Indonesia
3
Bangladesh
4
Egypt
5
China
It was not surprisingly to find a huge male dominance in voices quoted. A look at how this
worked across countries in Copenhagen points to a crucial discrepancy: a male-dominated field,
despite the fact that on a global basis women are more vulnerable to climate change than men.
The Egyptian Case
Table 3:
Newspaper
Total
Males
Females Not
clear
Al-Ahram
64
12
3
49
Al-Masry AlYoum
42
3
8
31
Limitations
 Due to the small number of sample and the
possibility of diversity within other media, as well as
the convenience in the sample collected in the
present study, results would apply to the sample
used and cannot represent the distribution of
opinions in the media community and concerned
public, in a strict sense.
 Despite these limitations, this study contributes to the
science communication literature, especially in the
global south, by exploring the shifting boundaries
between climate change, media and politics and
scientists’ role in the policy making process.
Conclusion
 There is an urgent need for a more
informed public, especially that the
global souths face the greatest climaterelated risks, yet they typically receive
the least information through mass
media.
 Though findings cannot be generalized,
but clearly indicate the mutual attempts
of both media and political actors utilize
scientific uncertainty to influence
policies, as well as to intensify existing
conflicts.
 Lack of plurality in media messages
concerning the main controversies of
climate change can lead to significant
framing effects on voters’ political
deliberation, even when the media
provide "balanced" and "impartial" news
coverage.
 Though reporting climate change is
generally poor, it is improving in some
regions and is gradually becoming
popular though the genre remains highly
political decisions in many of these
countries.
 The current ups and downs of climate
change coverage and local journalisms
reflect a paradox of struggle that
reporters face as a result of the pressure
to provide constant negotiation updates
and remain competitive with the
multitude of news sources reporting on
the very same story.
 Many available stories with little
newsstories are mostly toned with the
"classic journalism norms of drama"
between negotiating countries instead
of going in-depth.