Are Generations Really Divided by Climate? Preference for Conflict in Fridays for Future Media Coverage

Bibliographic Data

ID12909083
AuthorsLenka Vochocová (0000-0001-9873-4536, Charles University, corresponding author), Jana Rosenfeldová (0000-0002-2015-3798, Charles University)
Year2023
Volume19
Issue7
Pages1619-1636
Publication date2023-09-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-2786 • E-ISSN: 1751-2794
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17512786.2023.2260364
OpenAlexW4387020298
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited21

This paper analyses the role of the media in the representation of youth climate action, specifically the media tendency to construct the age-related aspects of climate change through a conflictual framing. A qualitative analysis of 347 articles on the Fridays for Future (FFF) activities produced by a diverse sample of the mainstream online Czech media reveals how media are generally absorbed by the generational perspective and conflict when covering the issue, but in two different ways reflecting the position towards the FFF. Conflictual framing is either based on a negative representation of the FFF movement itself, or, in the dominant case when the media are supportive of the movement, is created through an emphasis on the theme of intergenerational justice. We follow the theoretical approach of peace journalism calling for a substantial change in the media coverage of global crises and argue that, given the already polarised public opinion in Europe (and in the Czech Republic specifically), the media tendency to support yet another polarising perspective, based on age-differences this time, does not contribute to the possible solution of the problem.KEYWORDS: Climate change activismmedia representationsintergenerational justicequalitative codingpeace journalismconflictual framing Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by Charles University under Grant number: PRIMUS/21/HUM/003

Czech · Direct action · Framing (construction · Geography · Journalism · Mainstream · Media studies · News media · Political science · Politics · Public opinion · Sociology · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Law · Media Influence and Health · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Psychology · Social Psychology

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