Climate Change Communication in an At-Risk State: A Case Study Examining Frequency and Framing of Climate Change Coverage by Local Television News in Hawaii.

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2017-12
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Fuentes, Joshua A.
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Communication
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This study aims to answer some fundamental questions about the frequency and framing of climate change as a news topic in Hawaii. This investigation draws inspiration from the annual reports published by Media Matters, which provide important statistics on how major national television news organizations such as NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and PBS cover climate change and global warming in the media. Due to the profound nature of such topics, and the role that local television news still plays in American life, it is critical to understand how and to what degree these concepts are being conveyed to the public on a local level. This is particularly relevant to the state of Hawaii because of the high level of risks its people face due to the known vulnerabilities of island communities to the projected effects of climate change, such as sea level rise. By using content analysis to examine segments aired by Hawaii News Now during the year 2016, and comparing local coverage frequency and content to national news data, this study shows that local television news coverage of climate change and global warming is greater in frequency in comparison to national network coverage, however there is a tendency to exclude the terms “climate change” and “global warming” when reporting on many of the related topics. This suggests that, although there is greater quantity, there is a need for better quality in local representations of climate change by television news media.
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climate change communication, local television news, content analysis, Hawaii
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