Broadcasters can more effectively inform the public and inspire audiences to take action on climate change by tackling misinformation, holding powerful institutions and governments to account, covering climate solutions and fostering a sense of collective pride and normality around pro-climate choices, according to recent findings.

These insights came from a series of studies conducted over the last 18 months.

A study, commissioned in June 2023 in the run up to COP 28 by the BBC, Channels 4 and 5, ITV, Sky and UKTV, examined what kind of climate and nature reporting is best received by audiences of public service broadcasters. It was conducted by IPSOS and The Centre for Climate and Social Transformation (CAST).

This work comes on the back of UK audience research conducted by both the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and the BBC, which show that while the majority are concerned about climate change and want more coverage, many can feel confused, sceptical or overwhelmed by what they see and hear about the climate and nature crisis on public service broadcast channels – and sometimes actively avoid it.

The latest study from Norwegian public service broadcaster NRK, delivered in a guest lecture in June 2024 at the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, built on this evidence and describes their solution. It charts NRK’s own four year journey to develop climate journalism, which significantly dialled up public engagement in the topic, challenging some industry perceptions that viewers aren’t interested in climate change journalism. Following a survey of audiences and journalists, NRK’s strategy advocated putting more resources into climate reporting – looking at climate coverage as firmly inside the mandate of a public broadcaster to educate the public and hold the government to account. Other measures included investing in fewer, more meaningful climate stories and rotating climate journalists around the newsroom.

This initiative mirrors similar innovations in France, where last year the state broadcaster introduced a ‘climate informed’ weather report on as part of the daily 8.00pm news bulletin. The award winning initiative provides climate graphics that change in real time and a QR code that allows viewers to send in questions which are answered by climate scientists. According to the channel, ratings for the programme rose within weeks.

Summary of Findings

COP 28 Pan UK broadcaster Research.  June, 2023 – key conclusions

Areas identified that would improve public understanding, motivation and hope include:

• Providing good quality information and tackling misinformation.
• Holding powerful institutions to account – offering scrutiny and analysis of those in power and supporting citizens in understanding government and others’ actions and commitments.
• Examining how the onus on individuals and households to make changes comes up against structural barriers such as cost and infrastructure.
• Painting a picture of how citizens, governments and business could act together – and how those changes are already underway.
• Providing a sense of collective pride and normality around positive choices and changing structures – by showing what other people, countries and governments are doing and the positive health and community impacts of joining together.
• A lot of the barriers to behaviour and systems change around the environment relate to social norms. Actions that contribute to climate change and biodiversity loss are often seen as ‘normal’ and actions that reverse it or reduce it are often seen as ‘abnormal’. Broadcast media plays a key role in social normalisation because it is one of the key forms through which we understand what is ‘normal’.

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University. 8 Country  survey – UK statistics 2022 and 2023

• The single most important medium for climate news in the UK is television (33%), alongside online news platforms. Public service broadcasters remain the most trusted on climate (38%).
• UK audiences expressed strong interest in climate news, which came joint 2nd  with political news (75%) – only superseded by local news.
• 77% of UK audiences are concerned that climate news and information they come across is false or misleading.
• TV and online news are the most frequently perceived as carrying misinformation (10%), mostly in connection with airing commentary from politicians.
• 22% actively avoid climate news, feeling ‘anxious’, ‘exhausted’, or ‘worn out.’ (This mirrors the proportion of viewers who avoid news in general.)
• Only 40% say they know at least a moderate amount about their own government’s climate policies or about international agreements – including frequent climate news users.
• Those who consume more climate news feel more concerned about climate impacts and more sceptical that governments and energy companies are doing what is needed.
• All audiences expressed an interest in solutions focussed reporting.
• 66% think news media influence public attitudes, government and industry action.

BBC Audience Insights, BBC Climate Creatives Conference, 2023 –  key statistics

• Although the cost of living is the biggest concern, 84% are concerned about climate change, feel that we should be doing more and that drastic change is needed to avoid the worst effects (61%).
• Most (54%) feel like they have a surface level understanding of environmental issues, but there is confusion on key facts. The public continues to under-estimate the level of scientific consensus around climate change (65% v 99.9%) and climate terminology (one third don’t understand what Net Zero means).
• Many don’t know what the most impactful actions are to take: 49% think recycling is the most effective personal action, when this is ranked 60th (ref: slides 11–12). At the same time few are aware of the role animal agriculture has in global emissions and the impact of switching to a more plant based diet.
• Although the public wants to hear more about what they could be doing as individuals, tackling climate change is seen as a ‘whole country’ task. They feel business, government and global corporations should do more on climate change, including the media. (69% feel the UK media should be doing more).
• People are hard-wired to avoid a sense of loss and more likely to be inspired to change habits when shown how it might improve life – such as better health, more jobs, cleaner air, to save money or protect the future for our children.

NRK recommendations  June, 2024 – key actions

• A survey of journalists and audiences on climate coverage.
• A thinking process involving all desks to examine how climate news is best told and how to avoid the perception of ‘activist’ journalism.
• Investing in fewer but more widely read climate stories, accompanied by strong visual content.
• Focussing on relatable stories which say something meaningful about what’s at stake and what we have to do as a society.
• Rotating climate reporters across the newsroom.
• Creating a climate lens from other desks.
• Tackling misinformation.