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November 28, 2023
The way that climate change is covered in the media has a significant impact on public opinion as well as policy formation. In the Season 6 finale of The Climate Conversation, Dan and Aaron sit down with Evlondo Cooper, a senior writer with the climate and energy program at Media Matters for America, to discuss the extent of climate change coverage in 2022. In his reporting and in today’s conversation, Evlondo focuses on how national TV news networks talk about the climate crisis.
Show notes:
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Episode Transcript:
Dan Bresette:
Hello, and welcome to the season six finale of the climate conversation. I'm Dan Bresette, president of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. And in front of me is a script that I'm being forced to read by my co-host today. Today, I'm joined by my incredibly smart and funny first time co host, Aaron Facundo. Aaron, how are you doing today?
Aaron Facundo: Hey, Dan, I'm coming out of my cage. And I've been doing just fine. I'm excited to be co-hosting this episode of the climate conversation because today we'll be discussing the media's portrayal of climate change. As someone with just about eight years of journalism experience, which is over a third of my life, I think we'll be having a great conversation about how different sources report on the climate crisis, something that everyone is affected by in one way or another.
Dan: I couldn't agree with you more. Mr. Brightside, there's been a lot of critical developments on climate change both good and bad in the last few years, and here at EESI, we really tried to focus on the good but uplifting stories about promising solutions to the climate crisis with an emphasis on science based climate policies that have bipartisan support and deliver multiple equitable benefits. Therefore, to make sure that what we cover is objective and reliable, it's important to take a step back and look at the quality of climate change coverage in the media.
Aaron: You may or may not have known this, but the summer of 2023 was recorded as the hottest summer ever. If you did not know this, it might be because many national TV news outlets largely amid climate change from their coverage. If you didn't know this, before you finish the rest of this episode, I'd like you to ask yourself, which media outlet that I received this news from? Was the report done in a video format or was it presented in reading? Extreme weather events are reported by a wide variety of media outlets, and there are many factors that might influence how they choose to cover it to outlets reporting on the same event may portray it in vastly different ways.
Dan: Today we'll be speaking with Evlondo Cooper, a senior writer with the climate and energy program at Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media watchdog group. Evlondo specializes in the portrayal of climate change in the media. He helps track a wide array of mainstream media coverage of climate energy issues to identify lacking or misleading media narratives as well as positive trends and climate coverage. In today's episode, we'll be discussing a Media Matters report from earlier this year, that breaks down the extent of climate change coverage and national TV news networks in 2022. Evlondo it’s great to speak with you today. How's it going?
Evlondo Cooper: I'm doing well. Thank you for having me.
Dan: Thank you for being here. My first question has to do with the Media Matters annual analysis of climate news coverage. And that is focused for our discussion today on broadcast TV networks. You published an article on extreme heat in September that stated national TV news as opposed to major print outlets consistently ignored clear climate signals connecting this summer's extreme weather events to climate change. How does print media's coverage of climate stories compare to that of TV news? Generally?
Evlondo: Yeah, so when we're looking at print online platforms, news platforms, there's a pretty stark difference in how they cover global warming compared to national TV news. These outlets have the space and inclination to really dive deeply into the climate story. They unpack the science, they link events to climate change, clearly. And they often lead the charge and climate journalism. Unfortunately, in contrast, national TV news with its logistical time constraints and format tends to just skim the surface missing out on the nuanced in depth coverage that's critical to give you as a full understanding of this complex issue.
Dan: And there's some good news in the Media Matters report as well. In 2022, total climate coverage increased for the second year in a row. And that broke a trend of fluctuating progress and regression over the previous years. What does that finding tell you in terms of public opinion regarding climate change?
Evlondo: It's very positive, but there are a couple of things we need to keep in context. Right. So the rising climate coverage on major, major broadcast news networks is a positive step. To me though, I think it shows a shift in public awareness, particularly with the increasing frequency of extreme weather, I think people are just much more aware and attuned, that global warming, climate change, something is happening around them, and they're witnessing these extreme weather impacts that are impacting and harming their lives. And so I think you're seeing coverage begin to reflect that public shift. But also importantly, why there's more coverage, it's still just a fraction of overall news coverage, I think, something like 1% of total news coverage. So they still have a long way to go in terms of quantity of climate coverage compared to the emergency that we're currently witnessing. But more importantly, this coverage needs to evolve, right? It's something we've been hammering on in our program. It needs to drill down into the real issues, which for us are the reliance on fossil fuels and their impact on climate. And media outlets have the critical job of making these connections clear to their viewers? So it's not just about more coverage, but I'm They can encourage more insightful and actionable, giving people the full picture in a way that's direct and leads to them feeling engaged and wanting to get out there and do something about it. And so we think that they have a long way to go in improving the quality and quantity of their coverage. And by doing so they can help turn awareness into real tangible action.
Dan: And one way TV coverage does that is by featuring experts and by having guests appear on their programs. And when you sort of look at those guest appearances and who they're inviting on, it's not a very diverse group. And while that statement probably applies, generally, it applies very specifically to climate coverage. The racial makeup was 80%, White And The gender makeup was 68%, male of folks who were invited onto programs to talk about climate change. What does that mean for the quality of reporting and climate stories? And do you have any insights regarding the state of diversity among climate correspondents in broadcast news?
Evlondo: I mean, I think most fundamentally, right, it's who was getting to tell what story like our data has shown, broadcast news outlets have a real problem with diversity. It's not just an issue of representation, right? It's, it's about the quality of the story being told. So we advocate for incorporating perspectives from people on the frontlines of climate change, who from diverse communities who are disproportionately affected by environmental impacts by climate impacts. It's not just race and gender, you know, we're also talking about a class perspective, you know, why don't you hear stories about poor people who are dealing with the effects of chemical plants in their communities like cancer alley, like the leg crises across the country in major urban areas, it's like, there's a big disconnect in that story as well. Whereas we have done studies that show that when an extreme weather event impacts the media corridor, like New York, you see much more coverage, you see many more calls for solutions and action than when you have a hurricane impacting, you know, southern Louisiana, Florida, for instance. So we're pushing for is a broader array of voices to speak to these issues, whether it's economic, racial, gender, class, and we think that the more of those voices you include, you get a richer, fuller narrative that reflects the true impact of the climate crisis. And one last point, there are some correspondents who report on climate that are diverse, but we need much more of that we need a more concerted effort to include these voices in front and behind the camera.
Dan: I loved your point about the media quarter, right, the New York to Washington horror, we had this terrible wildfires in Canada this year. And they there was lots and lots of smoke, and it was like there had never been a wildfire before. Like the the the people at the deaths were like, What is this? And, you know, people I know, from California, or other parts of the country are like, yeah, no, this sometimes it gets smoky. And, you know, because it was happening in New York, and because there were those dramatic shots of the Empire State Building, right, and the orange sky, everyone's taking notice. And because the news is based in New York, basically, it was very stark, it was a powerful reminder of just how sort of in a bubble we can sometimes be, especially in this New York to Washington megalopolis that we live in?
Evlondo: I mean, you know, I moved out to the Pacific Northwest, a few years ago from Washington, DC, my wife and I had never experienced the wildfires before. And you know, yeah, well, one morning I woke up and the sky was orange, and you couldn't go outside. And it was set on plants in our garden. And it was, was very stark. And I think, yeah, unless you have people from different regions, different areas that can speak to that. But I mean, even a recent flooding of in New York was covered, almost wall, the wall on cable news, right? I mean, and it was a big deal. I don't want to minimize that. It's, it's a big deal. But to me, it's just a glimmer of not only what that reader is going to experience, but what other regions across the country are already experiencing. And to me, it's incumbent at the broaden our perspective, in order to really say like, we're all in this together, and we have to find solutions that ensure that none of us have to live with this on a daily basis.
Aaron: And now Evlondo, of course, you won't have the numbers on 2023 Until next year, but perhaps we can discuss them with your observations as a climate reporter. Looking back at the events of 2023 So far, what do you see as the biggest hits and misses when it comes to connecting climate change to its various impacts and consequences? What advice do you have for broadcast journalists seeking to improve their coverage of climate stories for next year?
Evlondo: I'll start with some hits. Because these are much fewer than a misses. I will say that there have been individual segments about our historic extreme weather summer segments on CNN and MSNBC, where they incorporated the views of climate scientists would have correspondents were making clear explicit connections to extreme weather and climate change. There were some great segments about the recent climate attribution study that came out showing how the this heat that we experienced across the country would not have been possible, it was made much worse by climate change, how the El Nino, the role that played. So I would say that you saw some individual truly great reporting. But that's the other side of that coin is that the biggest misses and national TV news coverage have been the inadequate connection between extreme weather events and climate change. Despite the summer marked by record breaking extremes, heat waves, rains, wildfires out of coverage often failed to link these events to the broader context of global warming. So to me, that's just failing at a very basic fundamental task to consistently link these events to climate change based on what the science has told us and showing us is happening. So for me for broadcast journalists, the first step is grounding their coverage in solid climate science. This isn't about just showing the connections, it's about providing a comprehensive view of cause and effect and laying out actionable solutions alongside a clear narrative of global warming. Equally important is bringing the stories of those directly impacted by the climate crisis to the forefront, which we talked about earlier. And we're not just talking about showing the hardship here, although that's important to show what people are going through. The stories are also about resilience, adaptation, and demands for systemic change. So it's crucial to humanize these experiences, and making the impacts of extreme weather events like heat and floods and wildfires relatable to those who are not directly experiencing them, then there is the matter of accountability, which for us is non negotiable. And to me, this is one of the biggest clear failings of national TV news, and a national news broadly, detailing the role of the fossil fuel industry, and other major polluters in driving global warming. It needs relentless scrutiny. So now from TV news has to be bold in its approach, and holding these entities accountable, and really diving into how they contribute to the climate crisis. And last, but definitely not least, it's about making climate change reporting and resonate with the daily lives of viewers, there are polls showing that people are beginning to accept the science of global warming and larger numbers, and they want action. They want the governments to take action. So they're experiencing this, but I think there's still much work to do, and making what might seem abstract to some viewers and connecting it to their lives of communities and individuals. So it's about engagement. It's about making the climate crisis, not just an environmental issue, but a part of everyday conversation that concerns finding climate stories and other reporting. Because if you look now, behind almost every major story, there is a climate story in some capacity. And it's about kind of teasing out those connections and making them explicit for viewers.
Aaron: Evlondo, there's definitely been important progress in the fight against the climate crisis, such as the bipartisan infrastructure law and the inflation Reduction Act, but the need for solutions is only getting more and more dire as the days go by. And as a communicator for the public. How do you strike the balance between the needs report on climate issues and the potential for raising alarm and causing anxiety?
Evlondo: Yeah, this is a very interesting question. And it's something that a lot of folks in the community are grappling with. And so thinking through it, I think one thing is to acknowledge that anxiety, and acknowledge that it's coming from a real place. So we did a study about coverage of the criminalization of tenant protests. And we've seen an uptick in much more radical protests over the last year or two. And without speaking to the efficacy of any particular tactic. What they do is they focus on the tactic themselves, but they always ignore the kind of clear climate anxiety and alarm behind these protests. And so I think the first thing they can do is acknowledge that a lot of people are anxious about global warming in the future, and at least pay credence to acknowledging that these concerns are legitimate. And then beyond that, the responsibility is twofold. And I'm gonna sound like a broken record, accountability and illuminating solutions. They must not only convey the grave challenges presented by climate change, but also highlight the solutions and actions that can make a difference. You know, people are going to debate about different approaches, different solutions. And these are very good debates. But a lot of these debates take place, often in the background. And so I think the more people here, there's legitimate solutions that are viable solutions, and they can feel empowered by taking part in determining what their future looks like. It's not inevitable, you know, of course, certain climate impacts are baked in at this point, you know, we warm the world to a certain point, and certain things are just gonna be part of our daily life. But we still have time to mitigate the worst impacts, you still have time to create a habitable, livable planet and ensure that everybody has a chance to lead a healthy life on that planet. So the media national TV news must continue to hold accountable those contributing to the crisis and shine a light on effective measures for mitigating these effects. And I think by doing so, national TV rose, I think critical role to play in informing the public without causing undue alarm, acknowledging the real anxiety around global warming and what it means for our future, and empowering viewers with that knowledge and a sense of agency.
Aaron: On the topic of protests, you gave an interview on the drill podcast about the media coverage of climate protests. What do you want people to know about the reality versus the portrayal of climate protesters?
Evlondo: I think I think they're sincere. I think they're sincere and are well meaning and I think, let me differentiate a little bit here. What strikes me about kind of mainstream reporting on us is that they kind of do these brief reports on it without providing any context, right. And that context that's lacking includes increasingly draconian policies and laws designed to squelch not just climate protesters, but protesters across the board. That is a very critical story that's not being told, in addition to the very legitimate climate demands that these protesters have, in right wing media, it's actually dangerous to report and they're doing because they're going out of their way to dehumanize these protesters, to make them out to be dangerous domestic terrorist, my colleague and medium as Alana, she did a story a day or two ago about a right wing podcaster, who was celebrating the shooting of protesters and Panama valine. So, you know, the language on the right is becoming increasingly violent, increasingly hostile, and absent a kind of balance from mainstream news sources, I'm afraid they're creating an environment that actually makes protest dangerous for us at a very sincere people who are concerned about the future of our planet.
Aaron: And blind climate change is a complex topic. And the solutions are often highly technical. However, climate change is something that affects everyone on a global scale. And therefore, it needs to be understood by everyone. So how do you simplify information so more people can understand it and in turn take action about the climate crisis?
Evlondo: I love this question. And so I, I want to not quite pushed back a little bit, but reframe right. I think the fundamental science behind climate change is direct and comprehensible. It's the greenhouse effect that is most basic. Our planet is warming primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, which leads to increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. So this core concept, though, was straightforward. There are a lot of nuances, right? There are a lot of complicated climate feedback, such as stuff about the Jetstream. And you know, people say why, why is it going to snow more if there's global warming, you know, that stuff can be a little more nuanced as far as the science behind it. But I think the core understanding of why on earth is warming, it's pretty clear and comprehensible to most viewers. So I think it needs to be more effectively communicated when conveyed by national TV news. I think having trusted voices in in media, such as meteorologists take on the mantle of being climate communicators, which many have done can play a significant role and simplifying and clarifying the science behind climate change. And of course, like we mentioned earlier, having diverse voices and diverse perspectives, enhances their trustworthiness of the information being conveyed. So as the public grows, there's understanding and acceptance of global warming and reflecting the demand for government action. news outlets have a role in emphasizing the link between human activities, fossil fuels, the resulting climate impacts, and exploring various consequences and potential solutions without overcomplicating this fundamental message. And I think more importantly, the approach was just now raising awareness. Awareness is critical. It's essential. And I think there are many people across the climate, space environmental justice space that are doing a great job of raising awareness. But once the awareness is raised, the news media has a has a job of providing clear accessible information, and enables people to fully comprehend the issues and engage in meaningful actions. It's about presenting climate science and understandable yet comprehensive manner. And through trusted communicators, I think we can enhance public awareness and make sure that viewers are informed to make decisive actions in addressing climate change and fighting for their futures.
Dan: So speaking of the future, we're a couple of weeks away from cop 28, which is the 28th Conference of Parties negotiations, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, my colleague and I will be there for the first week, everyone in our audience should sign up for our cop dispatch daily newsletter, it's really, really great. But putting the plug aside, this is about talking to you and learning from your experience. And one of the findings that we haven't talked to yet was about media coverage of cop 27, which last year took place in Sharm el Sheikh Egypt. And according to this analysis, coverage of the United Nations annual global climate change negotiations decreased from 11% in 2021 to 2% of all climate coverage in 2022. And, you know, just a few weeks away from going to Dubai for cop 28 Do you have any theories or or hypotheses about why broadcast coverage of cop 27 was so low last year? And do you have any hope that news outlets will focus this year a little bit more of their coverage on the negotiations in Dubai?
Evlondo: I've never been the cop. So I'm excited to get going. And I will be following your coverage to see how the negotiations go. Because I think this year's cop is critically important, speaking to our observations about the coverage around it, so cop 26 received a lot of coverage because it was the first under Biden, and it was Biden administration signaling a return of the United States, the international climate talks. So expectations were high. And as a result, it received a little bit more media coverage than probably normal. Now, looking back at last year's cop, we suspect that the reason for scant coverage was just how these outlets perceived its importance, right? There were very complicated issues at play very complicated negotiations, which one thing national TV news doesn't really do? Well, unfortunately, it's nuance and complexity, but they have the capacity for doing so. But they don't do it very well. And so it kind of boiled down to that they didn't think he was very important. And so they didn't cover it as much. You know, it's just another round of talks. It's more being than groundbreaking. But I think that was a very big misstep, because those those discussions had real world impacts that affected real people. This year's cop, I hope they cover with a little more urgency, because the stakes are very different. And viewers need to recognize this. There's a loss and damage fund. That's a significant development. And it's about putting actual resources into the hands of those who are bearing the brunt of climate change. Right now. It's a model for potential approaches to climate justice. And it could have a tangible impact on millions of people's lives. And I think that's one issue that deserves airtime. There's also the issue of ongoing carbon bomb projects, right. And the UN even published a report about this, there's a huge disconnect between what countries are pledging to do and what they're actually doing. Right. So despite all the talk about cutting emissions, these projects are moving full steam ahead. And that's a narrative that needs to be highlighted. People need to be aware of that, you know, there's a contrast and a conflict between what's being said in these conferences and what's actually happening on the ground that we're deepening our reliance on fossil fuels at a time where we need to be rapidly transitioning away from another potential good angle to cover is divisions among countries over the future of fossil fuels. There is legitimate debate right now with the various global conflicts for scene starting with the Russia's war in Ukraine last year, some countries are making a concerted push for renewables, while others are deepening their reliance on fossil fuels. And many don't have much of a planet or don't have the resources to actually make the transitions that they want to do. So this isn't just about political wrangling, it's about choices that are going to be made that will determine our planet's future. So I think for this cop, I think it's extremely important. I think there are a lot of potential good informative news angles, and I think they have to step up and cover these issues in depth. Because it's not just about policy, it's about the people affected by these policies. And you know, good coverage of a story like this can drive change can empower our viewers, and it can help us understand the gravity and immediacy of what's at stake. So I hope I hope they hopefully stuff up.
Dan: It was such a treat to talk with you today. Thank you for joining Aaron and me on our podcast this week. And I look forward to keeping in touch and we wish you all the best.
Evlondo: Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed our conversation today.
Dan: Well, Aaron, I think your first time as co host of the podcast went very, very well. I hope you're pleased that I read the script verbatim. And I just, you know, I'm glad you've come out of your cage. And I'm glad you're doing just fine. One thing I was thinking about was just how exposed to the media we are. So we're recording this on a Tuesday. We don't record these live. So they come out, then we record them and then they come out. So we're recording this on a Tuesday, just an average Tuesday. And I'm thinking about all of the different sorts of media I've been exposed to just today. And I've been up for I guess at this point about five hours. So I read The Washington Post online. There's also a paper copy, but I didn't pick it up off my off my walkway this morning. I forgot but I read The Washington Post online. I read a few other sort of new sites. I looked at football scores. Sitting next to people who are watching videos and looking at Instagram and other social media sites. On my walk to the office I passed at least two televisions that were showing MSNBC and each one of those, you know some of those were things I wanted to like I wanted to read the weather forecast today I wanted to read the latest news from the post. But then there's all this stuff that I didn't necessarily want that I was just exposed to. And I think you know, we're just so constantly surrounded by media. If media was doing a little bit better job talking about climate change and climate impacts, I can absolutely see how it would have an enormously pause. To perfect, because we do pick it up everywhere. Sometimes it's noticeable. Sometimes it's subliminal. Sometimes it's in the background, sometimes it's in the foreground, but it's always there. We're constantly being exposed to this. And while I don't watch a lot of cable TV news, I do see it from time to time. I also don't spend a lot of time on social media, but I see it from time to time. There's all sorts of different ways that I think media of all types could do a lot better job. And hopefully, today's conversation helps us think a little bit more wisely about how we cover it in our own coverage of these things, whether it's climate change solutions, or whether it's the cop dispatch, or whether it's talking to reporters or other things like that. So really, really appreciate Evlondos willingness to join us and share his insights today.
Aaron: I think that after our conversation with Evlondo, it's really important to consider how big of a role the media has in terms of the climate crisis. If it weren't for the media, we wouldn't be able to know about all these different climate impacts that are happening all across the country and even the world. That's why I think it's important that our coverage in the media is both diverse and inclusive of all different backgrounds that are affected by the climate crisis. If we know the story from all angles, then we should be able to unify together and advance all these different climate solutions. And like Evlondo said earlier, the more voices a story has, the more full and telling the story is, I'd say we're developing in the sense that the climate crisis is finally being recognized by all these different media outlets, both on a local level and on a nationwide scale. But at the same time, the climate crisis is only a small fraction of the media that's put out there. So we really want to beg the question is the coverage that's actually being put out there good and inclusive for all different perspectives. I think the process of creating a new story, whether that be of the climate crisis, or of anything else, in fact, it's just very overwhelming, but at the same time, absolutely fascinating. When you finally pick that topic that you really want to represent, you might ask yourself, Okay, should this be a very broad and general news story? Or Should this be something that's very specific and really only understandable to a few people? And once you finally focus on the scope of your story, you might want to ask yourself, Okay, who's going to be included in the story? Who am I going to interview? Who should I go to for more information about and after you figure out who your sources are going to be, then you really want to pick the medium because a story that's represented through video is going to be pretty different from something that's only represented through text. I will say that I'm a really big fan of video, I will absolutely pitch any idea as a video idea before any other sort of medium. And I think it's just very important to see someone's face someone's actual voice. And someone that's just living in the moment through moving pictures, as opposed to just reading the words they are saying through text. But at the same time, I understand what Alana is saying, in that there are definitely a lot of different obstacles and constraints with video, whether that be time constraints, or trying to navigate someone's comfortability with being on camera. In general, as someone that studied journalism in college, I think my biggest hardship was really trying to keep a positive mind when I'm constantly being surrounded by all this negative news that's going on around the world. But I think what Evlondo says is really important in that when we're covering climate change in the media, we're not just showing hardship, but we're also showing resilience and solutions. I think that if we also cover the resilience and solutions part of the climate crisis, then we're able to bridge the gap between the needed resources and the impacts that the frontline communities are facing. If you want to learn more about EESI’s work on climate coverage, head to our website at eesi.org. Also, follow us on social media @eesionline for all of our recent updates. The climate conversation is published as a supplement to our bi-weekly newsletter, climate change solutions. Go to eesi.org/signup to subscribe. Thanks for joining us and see you next time.
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