Political Temperature Rising: Media Literacy, Public Opinion, and Global Warming

Rising temperatures and speculation regarding their effects have made global warming a subject of copious and increasing media discourse during recent years. The amount of debate and discourse has increased markedly in the past year, with reports of rapidly rising temperatures and serious attempts at legislating greenhouse-gas limitations by a Democratic Congress. Few scientific issues exceed this one in terms of political and economic gravitas . At stake is not only the future of the Earth as a habitable environment, but the ways in which more than six billion people use energy. This study of media representation samples the rising volume and intensity of commentary on the issue. The quantity of attention is not in dispute – but what about the quality of this tide of reporting and commentary? To an informed observer, the discourse often displays the tone of a political campaign, a horse race, or a religious revival more than a scientific debate. This study is a fragment of a much larger set of debates and discourses taking place within the United States, and globally. Scientists (an important example being Goddard Institute for Space Sciences director James E. Hansen) have become more sensitive to the disconnection between what they know, and what the media are telling the public. Thus, as opinion leaders they need to creatively “frame” messages that resonate with news organizations. Al Gore has been able to use some capital from his long-term credibility as a spokesman on this issue, his post-2000 role as a counterpoint to the George W. Bush presidency (including its positions vis a vis global warming), his Hollywood connections, and his ability not take himself too seriously while being very serious about the issue. He's what Epstein called a “commissioned story” news source (Epstein, 1974, p. 187). By definition, when Gore speaks on this issue, he is usually newsworthy. Other scientist sources have been required to prove themselves with media to reach media agendas. This involves agenda-setting issues and news media construction of social reality. Ironically, the White House has given Hansen a tremendous boost as a newsworthy subject by introducing an element of conflict in its attempts to censor him.