ICA 2024

Polarised Media Framing of Climate Protests: A Comparative Mixed-Methods Analysis of Australia and Germany

Katharina Esau, Hendrik Meyer, Mike Farjam, Helena Rauxloh, Axel Bruns, Michael Brüggemann

• 21 June 2024 – Paper presented by Katharina Esau at the ICA 2024 conference, Gold Coast

Presentation Slides

Abstract

This empirical study investigates the media framing of climate protests in Australia and Germany. Media frames serve as powerful tools for shaping public perceptions of complex social issues. While previous research has focused on the framing strategies employed by climate activists, we are examining how news media outlets themselves frame the climate protests within different political contexts. This is particularly relevant as climate protests have become a focal point in contentious public debates in recent years. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we integrate qualitative and computational methods to identify frames used in news stories about climate protests. This study pioneers a dual-language approach, encompassing both English and German, thereby enriching frame analysis in political communication research. Employing a comparative approach, we consider the political leanings of media outlets, different types of protests, and the influence of political and media systems in two countries, assessing the impact of these factors on the framing of climate protests. The results reveal that right-leaning media outlets frame the protests and activists more negatively, defining them as a problem to societal cohesion rather than a solution to climate change. Regarding the relationship between media, political context, and climate protest framing, the results show that the Australian media landscape exhibits less diverse framing compared to Germany. We discuss the results in the context of news media polarisation and public opinion formation.

Full paper (PDF).