• Energy Research

AbstractResearch 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

AbstractResearch 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

IntroductionThis article examines understandings of public engagement in science by scientists and communicators in four universities in Portugal and Spain.MethodsBased on mixed-methods research, we present an integrative analysis of practices and perceptions of climate change scientists and communication professionals, and identify critical barriers for them to further public engagement.ResultsMore similarities than differences are found between the four universities and the two countries but there are important differences between the two professional groups. Universities and the scientific community at large tend to privilege forms of science communication that are focused on dissemination of information and on self-promotion. Over the last decade there are signs of positive developments, even though some aspects of science communication practice appear to have worsened.DiscussionDespite the advancements presented this article Portuguese and Spanish universities are not yet making the most of the potential inherent to public engagement. This raises important questions for research and practice. Although several interviewees acknowledge a normative requirement of having citizens participate more deeply in science, they stay short of fulfilling such commitment. This may be partly due to implementation barriers but also because scientists and especially communication professionals make a relatively narrow reading of the potential benefits of engaging the public in science.

IntroductionThis article examines understandings of public engagement in science by scientists and communicators in four universities in Portugal and Spain.MethodsBased on mixed-methods research, we present an integrative analysis of practices and perceptions of climate change scientists and communication professionals, and identify critical barriers for them to further public engagement.ResultsMore similarities than differences are found between the four universities and the two countries but there are important differences between the two professional groups. Universities and the scientific community at large tend to privilege forms of science communication that are focused on dissemination of information and on self-promotion. Over the last decade there are signs of positive developments, even though some aspects of science communication practice appear to have worsened.DiscussionDespite the advancements presented this article Portuguese and Spanish universities are not yet making the most of the potential inherent to public engagement. This raises important questions for research and practice. Although several interviewees acknowledge a normative requirement of having citizens participate more deeply in science, they stay short of fulfilling such commitment. This may be partly due to implementation barriers but also because scientists and especially communication professionals make a relatively narrow reading of the potential benefits of engaging the public in science.

In this article, we call for a refocusing of research on citizens’ political engagement with climate change. In doing so, we argue that communication practices not only help create the conditions for political engagement but they also comprise the modes of such engagement. Our argument proceeds in four steps. First, we review the literature on public engagement with climate change, concluding that there is a lack of attention to issues regarding the political. Consequently, we make the case for a refocusing of research on political engagement. Second, we explain how the notion of political subjectivity helps us to understand the relation between communication practices and engagement with the politics of climate change. Third, we discuss examples of dominant communication practices that constrain citizen political engagement by depoliticizing climate change, and alternative communication practices that have the potential to politicize. We end by outlining the many research questions that relate to the study of political engagement with climate change.

In this article, we call for a refocusing of research on citizens’ political engagement with climate change. In doing so, we argue that communication practices not only help create the conditions for political engagement but they also comprise the modes of such engagement. Our argument proceeds in four steps. First, we review the literature on public engagement with climate change, concluding that there is a lack of attention to issues regarding the political. Consequently, we make the case for a refocusing of research on political engagement. Second, we explain how the notion of political subjectivity helps us to understand the relation between communication practices and engagement with the politics of climate change. Third, we discuss examples of dominant communication practices that constrain citizen political engagement by depoliticizing climate change, and alternative communication practices that have the potential to politicize. We end by outlining the many research questions that relate to the study of political engagement with climate change.

Young climate activists around the globe have been raising their voices against the inadequate response of world leaders to climate change. Mainstream media have an important role in bringing young people’s concerns to the public, but research has shown that, in some countries, news outlets have failed to adequately represent their political voice. In view of a prevailing depoliticization of climate change, this study focuses on Portugal’s television news reporting and examines whether and how youth climate activists are constructed as recognized actors in the politics of climate change. To explore the mechanisms of voice, we conduct a multimodal analysis of material from three open access channels: RTP1, SIC, and TVI. By analyzing 230 news pieces from 2018 to 2021 on youth climate activism, we investigate the different ways in which the youth are given voice and the specific settings in which they are presented. Findings reveal that while they are given voice, the dynamics that grant them recognition in various settings, such as street protests and institutional venues, also contribute to the recasting of their claims within the existing depoliticized agenda. As a result, in-depth discussions about their proposals for transformative change are hindered. info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion