THE NARRATIVE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN LATVIAN MEDIA CONTENT

Abstract

The mass media are important actors in the conceptualization of the problems and possible solutions related to climate change. They have an opportunity to master the agenda and formulate it not only in all importance and complexity but also in the diversity of aspects to be included for proper understanding of the climate change concept by the public. In doing so they build on existing agendas by policymakers, scholars, and other actors, but also have their agency to be exercised in all responsibility and by specific knowledge. The overall task for media is to build a consistent and coherent narrative that will serve as a base for understanding current issues. However, analysis of Latvian media shows that a vast number of publications tend to speak about climate change in general terms, without being devoted to a particular domain of issues. The results on the dynamics of publication and reach of the audience of the content can be interpreted by discerning three general groups of climate change-related issues. The first group of related issues is mentioned more in connection with political agenda (e.g. COP26). The second group of issues (emissions, green energy, carbon neutrality/decarbonization) are proposed by industries and businesses dealing with them but are rather little known to the general public. Opposite, the third group includes keywords like environmental protection, protection of nature, and natural diversity that are familiar to most people; they have a stable place but are not very popular in the content of media.