By Hatem Hussein
SHARJAH, 12th September, 2023 (WAM) — The World Media Seminar (WMS) that kicked off today as part of the pre-events of the 12th International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2023), addressed global models in climate change coverage, and their impact on public opinion.
Delivering the keynote speech of the WMS, which is organised by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) in partnership with the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, Fernando Justus Fischer, Chief Operations Officer of SBT, a Brazilian broadcast media production and distribution company, discussed the importance of media coverage in raising awareness of climate change and driving action.
Fischer said that the media has a “responsibility to inform and educate the public about climate change and can shape the public discourse about climate change and how to respond to it.
“Media would shape the public discourse about climate change and how to respond to it. This power can build public support to accelerate climate mitigation, but it can also be used to do exactly the opposite. This places a huge responsibility on media companies and journalists,” he told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of his participation in the seminar.
Therefore, he continued, the strategic priority of media companies should be to consider their role in shaping attitudes, behaviors, and public opinion.
“Media companies should consider their role in shaping attitudes, behaviors, and public opinion. There are different global coverage models for climate change, reflecting the political, economic, social, technological, and environmental contexts of each country or region.”
According to Fisher, there are three main global coverage models for climate change: the objective-impartial model, the analytical-engaged model, and the pragmatic-adaptive model.
The first seeks to give equal weight to all sides of the issue, including scientific, political, economic, and social perspectives. However, “this can sometimes lead to false equivalence between divergent positions, such as between climate scientists and climate deniers,” Fisher said. The analytical-engaged model focuses on the ethical, moral, and ideological aspects of climate change, as well as the responsibilities of citizens and governments. The third model focuses on the practical challenges of adapting to climate change and the opportunities for innovation and cooperation.
The most effective global media model and practices in climate change coverage, Fisher argued, “are those that combine the positive aspects of different existing models, aiming to inform, educate, and engage the public in an ethical, responsible, and democratic manner.”