The Media Portrayals of Climate Change: The Factors behind the Scenes

Year 2025, Issue: 1, 1 - 13, 30.09.2025

Özgür Bozan

Abstract

Climate change is a complex topic, and journalists face numerous challenges when covering it. Over the last twenty years, the influence of mass media coverage on climate change has been a major focus of research. This interest reflects the significant role media plays in affecting public perception and policy agendas. The media frames issues related to climate change and creates awareness, thereby significantly influencing the public's perception. This research paper examines existing research to explore the factors influencing media reporting of climate change, focusing on the significant role of power and knowledge within media institutions. The body of this examination is structured into two main sections, highlighting key conceptual frameworks. The first section demonstrates how mass media discourses are shaped by scientific, cultural, political, social, and economic dimensions, and why power and knowledge are central to journalistic practices. The second section analyzes the coverage of climate news in mainstream media to illustrate how these factors affect the volume of climate change articles. Therefore, this paper uses three major approaches – political economy, structuralism, and culturalism – to explain the factors behind the media's portrayal of climate change.

Keywords

Climate Change , Media , Political Economy , Structuralism , Culturalism

Medyada İklim Değişikliğinin Tasviri: Perde Arkasındaki Faktörler

Abstract

İklim değişikliği karmaşık bir konudur ve gazeteciler bu konuyu haberleştirirken çeşitli zorluklarla karşılaşmaktadır. Kitle iletişim araçlarının iklim değişikliği konulu haberlerinin etkisi, son yirmi yıldır araştırmaların ana odak noktası olmuştur. Bu ilgi, medyanın kamuoyu algısını ve politika gündemlerini etkileme konusundaki önemini yansıtmaktadır. Kitle iletişim araçları, iklim değişikliğiyle bağlantılı konulara çerçeve çizer ve farkındalık yaratır, bu nedenle de halkın iklim değişikliği algısı üzerinde önemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu araştırma makalesi, iklim değişikliğiyle ilgili medya haberlerini etkileyen faktörleri ve güç ile bilginin medya kurumları üzerinde nasıl önemli bir rol oynadığını incelemek için mevcut araştırmaları değerlendirmektedir. Bu incelemenin ana gövdesi, başlıca kavramsal çerçeveleri vurgulayarak iki ana yapıdan oluşmaktadır. Birinci yapı, kitle iletişim araçları söylemlerinin bilimsel, kültürel, politik, sosyal ve ekonomik boyutlar tarafından nasıl şekillendirildiğini ve gücün ve bilginin gazetecilik uygulamalarında neden merkezi bir mesele olduğunu göstermektedir. İkinci yapı ise, bu faktörlerin etkilerini anlamak amacıyla ana akım medyada yer alan iklim haberlerinin kapsamını, yani iklim değişikliği makalelerinin miktarını gözler önüne sermektedir. Bu nedenle, bu makale, iklim değişikliğinin medyada tasvir edilmesinin arkasındaki faktörleri açıklamak için üç ana yaklaşıma değinmektedir: Politik ekonomi, yapısalcılık ve kültürelcilik.

Keywords

İklim Değişikliği , Medya , Politik Ekonomi , Yapısalcılık , Kültürelcilik

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