Document detail

Climate change in the media: reporting risk and uncertainty

London; New York: Tauris; Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (2013), xvi, 173 pp., bibliogr. p.162-173
ISBN 978-1-78076-588-4 (pbk); 978-075569-452-5 (online)
"Scientists and politicians are increasingly using the language of risk to describe the climate change challenge. Some researchers have argued that stressing the ‘risks‘ posed by climate change rather than the ‘uncertainties‘ can create a more helpful context for policy makers and a stronger response from the public. However, understanding the concepts of risk and uncertainty - and how to communicate them – is a hotly debated issue. In this book, James Painter analyses how the international media present these and other narratives surrounding climate change. He focuses on the coverage of reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and of the melting ice of the Arctic Sea, and includes six countries: Australia, France, India, Norway, the UK and the USA." (Publisher)
Contents
1 Introduction: 'Even ostriches need third party insurance', 1
2 When uncertainty is certain, 11
3 The language of risk [IPCC's approach], 25
4 Reporting the Future, 41
5 Uncertainty and risk in the international print media, 57
6 Country studies: Australia, France, India, Norway, the UK and the USA, 79
7 Conclusions, 135