Communication about Climate Change: Interactions between advocates, the media and stakeholders

Helen FeatherstoneUniversity of the West of England

Types of publics

High involvement Low involvement

Problem facingHigh problem recognitionLow constraint recognition

Active (15%) Aware/Active (3%)

Constrained High problem recognitionHigh constraint recognition

Aware/Active (19%) Latent/Aware (7%)

Routine Low problem recognitionLow constraint recognition

Active (reinforcing) (5%)

None/Latent (5%)

Fatalistic Low problem recognitionHigh constraint recognition

Latent (12%) None (34%)

(from Grunig and Hunt, 1985)

Types of behaviour

Problem facing – people recognize the problem, connect themselves with it and face few constraints so they actively seek information and act upon that information.

Constrained – people recognize the problem but may have personal constraints which prevent information seeking or acting on information; or individuals do not connect themselves with the problem.

Routine – people take notice of information they passively encounter which reinforces their current attitudes if they connect themselves with the situation.

Fatalistic – people make no effort to plan their behaviour about an issue because they are not aware of the problem, do not connect themselves with the situation and/or face high constraints.

Three publics I spoke with:

Active – Local branch of international environmental pressure group

Active (reinforcing) – local branch of international womens’ group

None – young adults on job skills development programme having been excluded from school

Active

High Problem Recognition High Involvement Low Constraints Seek information and act upon it

Active – High problem recognition

Clear understanding of climate change science and impacts

An unspoken given

Active – high involvement

“I fly for work, not out of choice. I was out in Paris last week… I felt that the whole thing was a total waste of time and I wish I’d never gone... Not only did I waste a load of Carbon emissions, but I…”

Active – low constraints

“There are disadvantages the [bus] service is not good. It’s something you’ve got to support to try and increase the service.”

Latent

“I can’t stand using public transport… Well I live on the Gloucester Road and you never know when they are going to come, and then 5 arrive at once.”

“Unreliable, filthy, rude drivers.” “Too many Polish drivers who don’t

know how to get there!”

Active – information seeking behaviour

“I didn’t know where that figure came from until I did a bit of research…it’s from the World Health Organisation and it’s based on… tropical diseases spreading their boundaries, it’s not as a result of…storms and floods.”

Active

“I think it’s really hard. Because it’s so difficult to say to people ‘no, I’m not going to do this thing because I think it’s wrong’ you know… it’s separating it. I feel like I’m separating myself out from the rest of society because every decision I make like that I have to explain to people ‘I’m really sorry, but I don’t want to come with you to this show or that thing because it’s ungreen…’”

Latent

“It’s all very good and desirable but it doesn’t match my lifestyle.”

“I agree with everything in principle but it would make a huge affect on my life. It if gets in, there would have to be 2 or 3 generations who make a very, very big sacrifice.”

Active

“There’s got to be something fundamentally wrong about the way that things are produced or taxed. How it can be cheaper to drive your car from here to Scotland or fly from here to Scotland than it is on the train. I don’t understand how that is.”

Active (reinforcing)

Low Problem Recognition High Involvement Low constraints Routine behaviour

Active (reinforcing) – low problem recognition

Understand climate change is a problem and its causes, but

They don’t consider it many aspects of their lives

Active (reinforcing) – low problem recognition

“Now last summer I went to Svolbard. Which is Spitzbergen … well beyond the Arctic circle and just beyond that is the permanent ice pack of the Arctic. And it’s supposed to be within 2 miles of Spitzbergen. We were going to sail up to meet it and it was going to be… very near and…it has shrunk so much that we never got there. It is now 137 miles, nautical miles, beyond and that has never ever been known before. I think that’s very frightening. Actually seeing it happening.”

Active (reinforcing) – High involvement

HF – as individuals we should be doing something?

“Yes! Oh very much so, because it’s from small things that come great, yes”

“Acorns!”

Active (reinforcing) – low constraints

“I’m quite keen on recycling. I’m careful with the washing machine, not that I am with the dryer, but I’m careful with the washing machine. I don’t have the lights on all the time. Yep I think on the whole, I’m very keen on recycling.”

Active (reinforcing) – routine behaviour leads to confusion

“We’ve had a water filter put onto the whole water system in the house.”

“Does that help the environment?” “It’s about being healthier, but I

suppose that’s not to do with the environment.”

Non-public

Low Problem Recognition Low Involvement High Constraints Fatalistic Behaviour

Non-public – low problem recognition

“What does it mean?” “I don’t know what you’re on

about.”

Non-public

“Hot weather, the world being covered in water because the ice caps are melting and everyone’s gonna die.”

Latent – low involvement

HF – “Is there anyone who thinks… that we should just be carrying on as we are?”

“Yeah” “But the polar ice caps will melt and

we’ll all die.” “Then we die. We got to die sooner

or later.”

Non-public – high constraints

Recycling: “But you [have to wash] glass bottles and

that. My ma ain’t gonna stand there and wash about a thousand glass bottles just to put em in a box.”

“Who’s gonna go out the front and open all their bin bags that have got dirty nappies and whatever and just sort it all out?”

Non-public – high constraints

Recycling: “I had this woman at the door going on and I could’ve

punched her… she was doing my ‘ead in, she was going on about all this crap. And then she was offering to give me a black box. Then a green bin, it’s like I don’t want it. I wouldn’t use it.”

HF “Do you know why the council want you to recycle your waste?”

“It’s getting buried.” HF “Yes, it’s getting buried in landfill sites. Why don’t

we want to use landfill sites?” “They don’t want to use landfill sites so they can build

more houses.” “For refugees and Somalians.”

Non-public – high constraints

HF – “Do you want to tell me anything about global warming? Don’t worry if you don’t.”

“It’s just stuff from school, innit?” HF – like what? Science stuff? “I didn’t listen that much.”

Non-public – overcoming constraints

Low energy light bulbs: “yeah we got those.” HF – “Have you got any in your house?” “Yeah” “They last longer won’t they?” Rob – “They might cost a little bit more

than regular bulbs but they last ages.” “Yeah but council were givin’ ‘em out for

free.”

Non-public – information seeking behaviour

Didn’t keep up with current affairs Friends and family important

sources of information Watch soap operas

Communication

Active: will seek out any information, support them to keep going, use as exemplars

Active (reinforcing): acknowledge the steps they’ve taken and build on them, make use of their belief in their actions, use the mass media

Non-publics: use soap operas and community groups, use the pocket