Journalism as Potential Approach for Climate Change

Abstract—The study aims to enhance a practice of VIEW communication as journalism approach for fostering climate change adaptation. A composition of VIEW communication is described by four approaches taken by journalists and news reporters. They are V-verification, I-information, E-education and W-warning. The research design is based on a cross-section analysis of news content reported through TV media about weather conditions, climate situation and natural crisis during raining season in year 2011 and 2017 in Thailand. The questions are as to how the journalists account for climate agenda, especially adaptive capacity, what differences in terms of VIEW communication behind the cross-sectional cases, which approach is best taken and how it is, and what is the ultimate outcome in relation to climate agenda, with emphasis on climate change adaptation. The representatives from professionals and academia in journalism, in environment and climate sciences, and TV news audiences were responsible for the test, with three-point scales varying from the levels of truly engaged, moderately, and never. The prominent findings are that VIEW communication is truly engaged for climate news reporting, and that the task in 2017 is much more common to VIEW communication, with truly-engaged level, than those in 2011 consistent to moderate level. E approach for the 2017-case is justified at moderate level by the environment and climate experts, while the results towards 2011-case sound different. They least engaged in E approach whereas I and W rise to truly-engaged level. The informants also agree that TV news audiences are received several signs of alert and aware to damage prevention and risk reduction whereas journalists are likely to have information verified with the experts in the field. News reporting, with audio-visual feature, through the VIEW communication is best for building adaptive capacity on climate change environmental consciousness and turning public awareness into behavioral participation.

Index Terms—Climate change adaptation, environmental journalist, journalism, news reporting.

T. C-ittipornwong is with Muban Chombeung Rajabhat University, Ratchburi, PO 70150 Thailand (e-mail: natcna@gmail.com).

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Cite: Taksina C. Ittipornwong, "Journalism as Potential Approach for Climate Change," International Journal of Culture and History vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 231-235 , 2017.