Communicating Global Climate Change: Framing Patterns in the US 24-Hour News Cycle, 2007-2009

Abstract

The act of framing entails the categorization of reality for the purpose of social understanding and communication ease. The method of content analysis was used to investigate global climate change framing patterns identified in a sample of articles published online by selected US 24-hour cable news outlets (MSNBC, FOX, CNN). Google search analytics revealed samples of significantly high information seeking in the US for the terms `climate' and `warming' between 2004-2011. Between 2007-2009, three samples emerged. Each article was individually analyzed for the presence of 12 frames. To qualify a difference in framing patterns article headlines and bodies were examined separately. MSNBC, FOX, and CNN news coverage was quantitatively compared to explore differences between the outlets. Seven frames were identified as frequent (appeared in >10% of all articles), these were 1) strategy / conflict, 2) public accountability / governance, 3) Pandora's box / environmental catastrophe, and 4) scientific / technical (un)certainty, 5) middle way / alternative path, 6) economic development / competitiveness, and 7) social progress. Six of the seven frames were found frequent in both headlines and bodies, although their order of frequency varied. Economic development / competitiveness was the exception, appearing in headlines on rare occasion. Among these seven frequent frames, 39 differences were possible and 11 were found between the outlets. In general, MSNBC, FOX, and CNN appear to have translated a cohesive message about climate change during popular moments in 2007-2009, although each of the outlets distinguished their coverage with at least one significant and unique framing choice. Results provide insight for future exploration of global climate change framing during this period.