Negotiating Climate Change: A Frame Analysis of COP21 in British, American and Chinese News Media

Climate negotiations have increasingly resonated with global governance and world power relations. However, media studies of climate change have paid relatively less attention to media frames of the problem-solving. This study addresses this issue by examining the media coverage of COP21 from three countries that have considerable influence on climate politics: the U.K., the U.S. and China. By applying an inductive frame analysis, the study identified ten media frames embedded in the discussions on climate negotiations. A deductive analysis further assessed the prevalence of these frames. The findings suggest that the frames were significantly influenced by the values of the established and emerging powers in the international policy area. The British and American media upheld the underlying norms that have long underpinned the existing Western-led order, while Chinese media coverage manifested a rising power in need of world recognition.

Publication year:2019

BOF-keylabel:yes

IOF-keylabel:yes

BOF-publication weight:6

CSS-citation score:2

Authors from:Higher Education

Accessibility:Open