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Representations of Pacific Islands and climate change in US, UK, and Australian newspaper reporting

Author

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  • Meghan M. Shea

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford
    Stanford University)

  • James Painter

    (University of Oxford)

  • Shannon Osaka

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

Pacific Islands often exemplify climate change vulnerability, yet little scholarship has probed how these representations translate to the media. This study examines newspaper articles about Pacific Islands and climate change in American, British, and Australian newspapers from 1999 to 2018, analyzing volume, content, and dominant narratives. These quantitative results are complemented by semi-structured interviews with journalists as well as Pacific stakeholders who engage with the media. Reporting on Pacific Islands and climate change focuses heavily on who and what are at risk from climate impacts; reporting on solutions is less frequent and dominated by discussions of migration. This overemphasis on vulnerability potentially downplays the importance of the resiliency and action of Pacific Island communities and positions the Pacific as a site for climate catastrophe, rather than climate justice. However, recent reporting may be moving away from overarching narratives of vulnerability, motivating continued research into these depictions and how they promote or discourage climate action.

Suggested Citation

  • Meghan M. Shea & James Painter & Shannon Osaka, 2020. "Representations of Pacific Islands and climate change in US, UK, and Australian newspaper reporting," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 89-108, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:161:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s10584-020-02674-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-020-02674-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James D. Ford & E. C. H. Keskitalo & Tanya Smith & Tristan Pearce & Lea Berrang‐Ford & Frank Duerden & Barry Smit, 2010. "Case study and analogue methodologies in climate change vulnerability research," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(3), pages 374-392, May.
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    4. Ella Belfer & James D. Ford & Michelle Maillet, 2017. "Representation of Indigenous peoples in climate change reporting," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 57-70, November.
    5. Anabela Carvalho, 2010. "Media(ted)discourses and climate change: a focus on political subjectivity and (dis)engagement," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(2), pages 172-179, March.
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    Cited by:

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