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Media(ted)discourses and climate change: a focus on political subjectivity and (dis)engagement

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  • Anabela Carvalho

Abstract

Research has shown that the media are the main source of information and the main factor shaping people's awareness and concern in relation to climate change and therefore have an important role in setting the public agenda. As a key forum for the production, reproduction, and transformation of the meaning of public issues, the media influence understandings of risks, responsibilities, as well as the functioning of democratic politics. This article argues that the media also matter to citizens' perception of their (potential) political agency or their political subjectivity. Media representations construct particular ‘subject positions’ for individuals and cultivate dispositions to action or inaction. The article discusses the importance of citizens' political engagement with climate change and points out some aspects of media(ted) discourses that may constrain the perceived possibilities of participation in the politics of climate change. While engagement with climate change has multiple dimensions and a number of barriers have been identified through empirical studies, this article offers a critique of the role of the media in political engagement with the problem and suggests avenues for future research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This article is categorized under: Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Social Amplification/Attenuation of Climate Risks

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  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:wirecc:v:1:y:2010:i:2:p:172-179
    DOI: 10.1002/wcc.13
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    Cited by:

    1. Anneleen Kenis & Benjamin Barratt, 2022. "The role of the media in staging air pollution: The controversy on extreme air pollution along Oxford Street and other debates on poor air quality in London," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 40(3), pages 611-628, May.
    2. Mike S. Schäfer & James Painter, 2021. "Climate journalism in a changing media ecosystem: Assessing the production of climate change‐related news around the world," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), January.
    3. Anthony G. Patt & Elke U. Weber, 2014. "Perceptions and communication strategies for the many uncertainties relevant for climate policy," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(2), pages 219-232, March.
    4. Bonan, Jacopo & Curzi, Daniele & D'Adda, Giovanna & Ferro, Simone, 2023. "Climate Change Salience and Electricity Consumption: Evidence from Twitter Activity," RFF Working Paper Series 23-34, Resources for the Future.
    5. 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.

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