Abstract

Due to the heavy nature of the climate crisis, climate change news tends to be massively negative. Too much negative information can cause severe psychological impacts and spur news avoidance. Along these lines, solutions-focused climate change reporting presents a juncture for introspection. Solutions journalism is rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems. Focus on the positive while not ignoring the negative; a solution approach could help expand climate coverage by changing the traditional depressing narrative and sharing stories of effective responses. Despite the academia’s growing interest in solutions journalism, there is not an abundance of literature available in the context of the Global South countries. This study aims to fill this research void while giving a first-hand account of expanding global understanding of the local practices of solutions-focused climate reporting in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the two Arab hosts of COP27 and COP28. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods. It explores how prominent Egyptian and Emirati news media report climate change and interviews local science journalists. The findings reveal fluctuating editorial attention and expose inadequate and temporary climate coverage. While recognized as crucial, solutions journalism faces gaps in its presentation, indicative of the influence of positive journalism and the interplay of political sensitivities and editorial decision-making. The findings also highlight broader challenges in climate journalism, emphasizing the need for context-tailored approaches. The study finally proposes a model based on practices by journalists, addressing challenges and offering practical insights for a more informed and compelling discourse on climate change.

School

School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Department

Journalism & Mass Communication Department

Degree Name

MA in Journalism & Mass Communication

Graduation Date

Winter 1-31-2024

Submission Date

1-22-2024

First Advisor

Sarah El-Richani

Committee Member 1

Naila Hamdy

Committee Member 2

Nadine El Sayed

Extent

167p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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