Climate Change in the Media: Reporting Risk and Uncertainty (RISJ Challenges)

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.

James Painter is Head of the Journalism Fellowship Programme at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University. He worked for several years for the BBC World Service and has written extensively on climate change and the media. His latest publication is Poles Apart: The International Reporting of Climate Scepticism (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University).