How media is shaping the narrative—and the climate movement.
Which is worse: a news cycle that rarely says the words “climate change” or one that only talks about climate as doom and gloom? It can feel overwhelming either way. Those shouldn’t be our only two choices. The media could balance its climate reporting by including more coverage of solutions and climate action, and consumers have the power to help make that happen.
Imagine news stories that cover how communities are kicking butt on climate action, innovative industry solutions, or no-brainer climate policies. Nice, right? Much better than a news story of how another heatwave record is being broken, followed by zero information on what’s being done to prevent future heat stress.
The media may not always get it right, but as the people who consume their content and make their business run, we get to help shape the types of stories and coverage that make the cut. By demanding more balanced reporting that focuses on solutions, not just scary statistics, we can actually shift the media narrative.
Media’s Role in Shaping the Climate Narrative
The World Association of News Publishers shows that the media tends to focus on the dire consequences of climate change rather than on the many solutions available. Sure, it’s important to emphasize the urgency of the crisis, but focusing only on despair can actually hurt the climate movement if it fails to motivate action.
Here are some cool examples of solutions that often get overlooked:
Local implementation of federal funds: sometimes it’s the stories in our own backyards that are the most inspiring. Click the purple button in this resource for a growing list of over 50 local news stories, all made possible by grants and programs from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Renewable energy advancements: Significant strides in solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources are helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Heard of the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Projects? Probably not, unless you have industry connections or follow niche platforms.
Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Innovations such as regenerative farming and precision agriculture are helping reduce carbon emissions from food production, like this story of a Pennsylvania farmer using IRA funds to transform his farm!
Restoration Projects: The Biden-Harris Administration announced nearly $220 million for transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects, but this was mostly not picked up by major news outlets.
Public Interest vs. Media Coverage
Despite the media’s often pessimistic portrayal, people do care about the climate crisis. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) reveals that a significant majority of adults acknowledge the reality of global warming; however, only 58% attribute it to human activities. This gap shows that while awareness is high, there is still a lack of consensus on the anthropogenic causes of climate change, which can hinder the sense of moral responsibility needed for widespread action.
This discrepancy is partly due to the media narrative lagging behind public opinion. The public is increasingly aware of and concerned about climate issues, yet media coverage has not kept pace. Editorial priorities, commercial interests, and a preference for sensational stories that get more clicks often take precedence over comprehensive, constructive reporting. This misalignment can delay the societal tipping points necessary for significant climate action.
The Media’s Potential to Inspire Action
The media has the power to change minds and influence social networks, which can drive societal change. According to Yale Climate Connections, media coverage that emphasizes extreme weather events and catastrophic predictions can lead to increased public concern, but it also risks causing apathy and fatalism if not balanced with solutions-oriented reporting.
Some impactful storytelling lenses might be:
Scientific Advancement: Reporting on breakthroughs in carbon capture technology and energy storage innovations can inspire optimism and action.
Community Initiatives: Sharing success stories from local communities implementing sustainable practices can demonstrate the power of collective action.
Policy Successes: Highlighting effective climate policies, such as those that promote clean energy and conservation efforts, can show the feasibility and benefits of systemic change.
What We Can Do
Inspiring more balance in mainstream media reporting isn’t a lost cause. Here are some steps we can take as consumers:
Subscribe to local news and climate news. Be a paid subscriber, follow journalists on social media, and generally tap into coverage in your region. Also, support outlets that prioritize comprehensive and constructive reporting on climate issues, like Grist, Inside Climate News, and Canary Media.
Engage with media outlets. See an article that omits “climate change” or one that talks about a problem but not the solutions? Write a letter to the editor, which can influence public opinion and even policymakers. Climate Changemakers has a step-by-step guide for how to write one. You can also reach out directly to the reporters. Journalists are looking for good stories—help them out! The Reach out to the Media Action Playbook walks through how to find and contact journalists and advocate for balanced climate stories, ditching the negativity and focusing on the awesome things people are doing.
Bonus tip: Did you know journalists are always on the look out for citizen sources with firsthand experiences? Whether it’s to talk about weather, electrification, utilities, city policies and planning, climate advocacy, parenting in a changing world, etc—this could be YOU!
Amplify U.S. climate progress whenever and wherever. U.S. climate policy is catalyzing tremendous progress, but even climate-concerned Americans say they’re not aware of those policies. When public perception doesn’t match reality, that’s one indicator that media is missing the mark. Share this one-pager as frequently as you can or use the full Action Plan to amplify historic climate progress.
The media’s role in shaping the climate narrative is crucial to the movement. By working together, we can create a media landscape that empowers, informs, and inspires more Americans to take action.