Journalism, climate science and the public: Towards better practices

Media reporting and analysis of climate-change science is a fundamental and vital requirement for public understanding and engagement in the increasingly serious issue of global climate change. However, journalists have largely failed to come to grips with the science and its practitioners: they have generally failed to obtain an adequate understanding of what the science is about, they have used inappropriate reporting and framing techniques and have been unduly influenced by vested interests. The result is that media audiences have been left confused, apathetic and even hostile about climate-change news. This article analyses the major shortcomings in media reporting of climate-change science and proposes means by which journalists can, without great difficulty, better serve their audiences, their organizations and themselves in this area of major professional importance.