U. S. Media and Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Although0cohesive solutions remain elusive, U.S. media attention on climate change is decreasing. This study examines how media attention to climate change solutions has changed over time and makes recommendations on how coverage trends can be influenced. Two broad solutions frames were chosen for the study: ?market? solutions that address human behavior utilizing market forces (e.g. cap-and-trade, carbon tax), and ?technology? solutions that focus on developing technological tools to support more climate-friendly behavior (e.g. renewable energy).0The study examined 444 media articles published in the Associated Press, Reuters News, the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Each article was coded according to a numerical rating scale for how0prevalent the solution was in the media article, as well as if it was reported as being an effective solution (positive tonality) or ineffective solution (negative tonality). Articles were analyzed for characteristics aligning with the five phases of Anthony Downs?s issue-attention cycle: 1) Pre-Problem, with attention from niche audiences only; 2) Alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm for addressing the issue quickly; 3) Increasing negativity as the cost of progress is realized; 4) Gradual decline of intense public interest; and 5) Post-problem, when issue attention drops off.0.