Download An attitude of daily newspapers toward climate change in Korea

Title:
An attitude of daily newspapers toward climate change in Korea (in recent 3 years)
Type of Manuscript:
Brief Report
Running Title:
Attitude of newspapers on climate change
Abstract
Introduction: The mass media and its mechanisms of production and selection of information play a crucial role in climate change. The aim of this study is to investigate the attitude on climate change in Korea daily newspapers. Methods: We searched internet website of major nine daily newspapers on climate change in Korea. The collected article was from January 1st of 2009 to December 31st of 2011. We reviewed every article and sorted into the following eight categories: greenhouse gas, the climate change convention, sea level rise, IPCC synthesis report, expected damage and effect, use of fossil fuels, global warming and mitigation or adaptation. According to newspapers tone, newspapers are classified a conservative and the progressive group. Then, the article were divided into cause, effect and measure of climate change and investigated by its tone. Results: The number of articles of nine newspaper on climate change was 746, 353, and 258 through 2009­2011, respectively. Generally, the articles dealing with vague (not precise knowledge and negative or skeptical tone) or nothing (the information did not mention) about climate change was by far greater than the articles handling accurate knowledge. It had a tendency that conservative newspapers handled the cause and effect of climate change, however progressive newspapers handled the measure of adaptation and mitigation. Conclusion: Our investigation revealed that generally Korean daily newspapers delivered inaccurate knowledge about climate change. The conservative newspapers mainly handled the cause and effect and the progressive newspapers handled the measure on climate change.
Editorial members
Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Editorial Office
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Ajou University School of Medicine
San 5, Wonchun­dong, Youngtong­gu, Suwon 443­721, Republic of Korea TEL : +82­2­740­8328 FAX : +82­2­764­8328 E­mail: [email protected] Website: http://submit.jpmph.org/ 1090­1 Seokjang­dong, Gyeongju, Korea
Copyright© The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine. All right reserved. Introduction
Media coverage has helped to shape public perception and affected how science is translated into policy, most
notably in regards to the environment, new technologies and risks. [1]. A prime example is climate change,
dubbed ‘global warming’ or anthropogenic climate change [2]. Climate change in the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the
mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer
[3]. It affects not only our health but also mother nature that can cause natural disasters and elevation of sea
level. There are several hypotheses of climate change and the magnitude of a rise in temperature and the height
of a sea level rise. By accepting these hypotheses, some people think that global warming by greenhouse gases
(carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons and ozone) is true and we should take actions to
reduce greenhouse gases. Some people feel negatively about global warming and others are skeptical about
reducing carbon dioxide [2].
Responding to climate change involves an iterative risk management process that includes both mitigation
and adaptation, taking into account actual and avoided climate change damages, co-benefits, sustainability,
equity and attitudes to risk [3]. Participation of stakeholders in research and communication is useful to creating
relevance and trust, and finding attention points. Citizens seem to trust scientists. Stakeholders probably trust
existing networks [4]. The mass media and its mechanisms of production and selection of information play a
crucial role in the definition of climate change [5]. The selected information can affect politicians, consequently
influence a policy decision [2]. Therefore, the role of mass media is to inform the public accurate scientific
knowledge so that they can influence policy makers to make the proper decision.
TV and newspapers were considered to be useful because they reach a large audience, and result in people
actually noticing and paying attention. Newspapers were considered useful because they can be read at anytime
and are able to give more precise information [4]. After 1980, there are foreign papers dealing with positive,
negative and skeptical articles about climate change and a role of mass media [2,6,7]. There is one report
analyzing news in Korea since the development of interest in climate change [8]. It deals with three newspapers
from July 1st of 1999 to June 30th of 2009. However, as it is about three newspapers and it does not have a total
number of articles, and thus has some limitations in representing Korean journalism. Moreover, it is composed
of types of frames and their forms among the news frames. For these reasons, the article conveyed insufficient
scientific information for health communication. There is one study with paper coverage about the health impact
of Asian Dust in Korea [9].
In this report, we will select nine major Korean daily newspapers that achieved the most circulation.
Therefore, they are representatives of Korean journalism. The articles from January 1st of 2009 to December 31st
of 2011 were analyzed because president Myeongbak Lee’s government adopted low carbon green growth
policy and took health communication as a viewpoint in this era. The total number of articles and the number of
each perspective will be counted. With these data, the attitude of mass media about climate change will be
analyzed and the importance of media coverage will be presented.
Methods
We used article searching services in the internet websites of nine newspaper companies: Chosun Ilbo,
Joongang Ilbo, The Dong-A daily News, Maeil Business Newspaper, The Korea Economic Daily, The Kukmin
Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Hankyoreh Shinmun and Kyunghyang Shinmun. We collected articles dealing with climate
change during the period from January 1st of 2009 to December 31st of 2011. During January 1st to December
31st of 2008, the number total articles of Chosun Ilbo, Joonang Ilbo and Hankyoreh Shinmun were counted.
When including The Sports Chosun and Farmers Newspaper, the newspapers range from the largest to eleventh
largest in circulation. When the ABC Association investigated circulation, Chosun Ilbo was the most masscirculating newspaper, rating 1,810,112 circulations in 2010. From Chosun Ilbo to Kyunghyan Sinmun the total
amount of circulation is 6,883,299 [10]. These newspapers would effectively represent Korean journalism. The
Sports Chosun covers sports and entertainment and there is no internet website for the Farmers Newspaper. For
these reasons, both newspapers were excluded. We selected 3 years of newspapers (2009, 2010, 2011) because
of the low carbon green growth policy of the president Myeongbak Lee’s government during these years. As
president Myeongbak Lee molded climate change as green growth, it is necessary to examine how the coverage
changed after that time. Another reason is that the internet articles are available on recent years. On every daily
newspaper, search words included carbon dioxide, global warming, out-of-oil energy measures, abnormal
climate, meteorological disaster and convention of climate change. We used ‘or’ among the Boolean logics for
the search words. We selected articles and identified the titles and the contents of the articles. Then, we excluded
articles unrelated to climate change. If the articles were not presenting the details of ‘climate change’, even
though they were referring to ‘climate change’, those articles were excluded, too. We assumed the input time as
a report time.
In the research about media coverage on conflicts Galtung and Ruge (1965) identified twelve filters of
selection, called news factors: (1) Frequency; (2) Amplitude; (3) Clarity; (4) Meaningfulness; (5) Expectation;
(6) Surprise; (7) Continuity; (8) Variation; (9) Elite Nation; (10) Elite Person; (11) Personalization; (12)
Negativism [11]. In this report, we investigated frequency, clarity and negativism. In terms of frequency, total
number of article was counted and the changes of the articles were examined by year. The number of articles of
Chosun Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo and Hankyoreh Shinmun was evaluated and compared with the previous study. The
clarity includes contents of accurate information and negativism on climate change. Negativism means a
negative or skeptical tone which is based on uncertainty of prediction to process a limited factor when using
simulation of climate change [12,13]. Skeptical people argue that it costs so much money to correct climate
change, therefore we should take priority on other things such as economic development. To analyze newspaper
coverage, there are 4 classifications; problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, treatment
recommendation [14]. Based on these classifications, the previous article divided newspapers according to its
tone; a conservative group that emphasized economic growth and development and the progressive group that
gave priority on economic distribution and preservation [8]. It was divided that the conservative press were
Chosun Ilbo, Joongaga Ilbo and The Dong-A daily News and the progressive press were Hankyoreh Shinmun
and Kyunghyang Shinmun. It categorized news frame, therefore it is examined in our study how it has changed
since 2009. We reviewed every article in the newspapers and sorted into the following eight categories:
greenhouse gas, the climate change convention, sea level rise, IPCC synthesis report, expected damage and
effect, use of fossil fuels, global warming and mitigation or adaptation. The above was divided again into
accurate and vague or nothing. Accurate meant that the newspaper produced penetrating analysis about the
articles, for example, types of greenhouse gas, contents of climate change convention. Vague or nothing
included that the information did not mention about the above, the information did not refer to precise
knowledge or the article had negative or skeptical tone. Then, the article of eight categories were divided into
cause (greenhouse has, global warming, use of fossil fuels), effect (sea level rise, IPCC synthesis report,
expected damage and effect) and measure of climate change (climate change convention, mitigation or
adaptation). We investigated the development of articles according to its tone.
Results
The results show that the number of the nine newspapers’ articles by year was 746 cases in year 2009, 353
cases in year 2010, 258 cases in year 2011 and the total amount was 1329 cases (Figure 1). The number of
articles was greatest on year 2009, which was about 3 times more than that of year 2011.
Generally, the articles dealing with vague or nothing about climate change was by far greater than the articles
handling accurate knowledge. The percentage of accurate articles was 26%, 25%, 25% respectively, and the
percentage of vague or nothing articles was 74%, 75%, 75% respectively. The number of accurate articles about
greenhouse gas was greater than vague or nothing articles on year 2009, however, the number was reversed on
the other years. Also, the accurate articles about global warming were more than the vague or nothing articles. In
year 2009, the number of articles referring to climate change convention was eight times more than year 2011.
On the other hand, the keyword expected damage, effect was almost the same in three years (Table 1).
The conservative press (Chosun Ilbo, Joongaga Ilbo and The Dong-A daily News) reported mainly the cause
(greenhouse has, global warming, use of fossil fuels) and effect (sea level rise, IPCC synthesis report, expected
damage and effect) of climate change. In contrast, the progressive press covered mostly the measure (climate
change convention, mitigation or adaptation) of mitigation or adaptation to the climate change (Figure 2).
Discussion
The aim of this study is to determine if newspapers delivered accurate information after president Myeonbak
Lee’s low carbon green growth policy. An attention to global warming exploded in 2004. This era is the time of
preparing for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol [8]. The number of eight newspaper articles by year was 605
cases in year 2009, 279 cases in year 2010, 222 cases in year 2011 and the total amount was 1106 cases. The
annual variation of climate change articles is decreasing. It was greatest on year 2009, about 3 times more than
year 2011. Total number of articles was small compared to United States and United Kingdom in 2006 (about
750 in United states and about 2,000 in United Kingdom) [2]. In year 2009, the UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon took the lead at the Copenhagen climate change conference. Regardless of whether it is assessed
successful or unsuccessful, the Copenhagen climate change convention brought attention to domestic and
foreign mass media. Copenhagen climate change convention did not result in an environmental treaty to prevent
global warming. To consider energy is accounting for essential positions in this modern society, the climate
change action means reorganization of current political society composition. It is considered that our era became
the turning point for society. Therefore, the fact that there are many discussions about climate change is an
important foundation for the public to develop awareness of climate change [8]. Also, the year 2009 was the
second year of a president Lee Myung-bak government emphasized low carbon green growth. However, the
concern for global warming was diminished year after year.
Generally, the vague or nothing articles were by far greater than the accurate articles. It means the Korean
newspapers do not conduct a warning and a proper role about climate change. With this inaccurate information,
the public cannot influence the politicians establishing policy about climate change. Greenhouse gas gave
attention and conveyed precise news in the year 2009. Accurate information was handled more than vague or no
information about global warming. It is interpreted that the papers are eager to cover only correct facts about
global warming.
To look at 3 newspapers compared to previous study, the number of articles Chosun Ilbo had in year 2008
was 71 articles and 71 articles in year 2009. In our study, however, the number of climate change articles
Chosun Ilbo had in year 2008 was 407 articles. The number articles of Joongang Ilbo had in year 2008 was 104
articles and 110 articles in year 2009 according to our study. In contrast, it was 236 articles in year 2008 for the
previous study. Hankyoreh Shinmun had 47 articles in year 2008 and 60 articles in year 2009 in our study, that
number was 313 in the previous study [8]. The number of articles was quite different between two studies,
because there was a difference in the search words. The previous study had a search word ‘climate change’ and
included every article that had a word climate change whatever the content was. In contrast, our search word
was more specific (carbon dioxide, global warming, out-of-oil energy measures, abnormal climate,
meteorological disaster and convention of climate change), and we excluded articles unrelated to climate change.
The circulation made rapid progress in the year 2006. It was the time that the IPCC synthesis report was
published and climate change was not an assumption but would result in enormous damage. The number of
articles had increased sharply among almost every newspaper [8]. Also, the Copenhagen climate change
conference made a slight increase in news in the year 2009. However, the interest decreased since 2010.
The climate change articles usually referred to green growth in Chosun Ilbo, Joonang Ilbo and the Dong-A
Daily News. In contrast, Hankyoreh Shinmun runs articles about greenhouse gas and the problem caused by
global warming. The composition that conservative press is centered around economic growth and the
progressive press is centered on a fair distribution is still working in issues about climate change, like other
political issues [8]. Hankook Ilbo is a newspaper which has a neutral tone. It means that the mass
communication completely changes according to the political dispositions. Our findings have a strength that was
lacking in the previous study, in that we analyzed a newspaper had a neutral viewpoint so that we can compare
every perspectives of climate change.
There was different coverage according to the political tone. The conservative group reported the cause of
climate change mainly, and the progressive group covered mostly the measure of the climate change. The result
was consistent with previous study [8]. Joongang Ilbo reported articles about how companies cope with climate
change. Hankyoreh Shinmun gave attention to the political and social meaning of climate change and
concentrates on the system of an action.
The main theme of a negative and skeptical tone can be summarized as follows; Is carbon dioxide the main
cause of global warming? If it is true, is the increase of carbon dioxide anthropogenic? Is it affordable to reduce
greenhouse gases? It would be better to invest money in economic growth and the IPCC synthesis report is a
trumped up report. It usually obstructs our field of vision because it handles on inexact knowledge and regards
this inexact knowledge as a truth. Therefore, to disguise inaccurate information as a scientific knowledge must
be sublated.
The study has following limitations. First, it was limited to newspapers. It had some limitation to generalize
the whole domestic media. Second, how the news affected a media consumer to awareness and attitude about
climate change was not studied. Therefore, it is needed to understand the actual effect on the public.
In conclusion, our investigation revealed that generally Korean daily newspapers delivered inaccurate
knowledge about climate change. Also the information differed from the tendency of newspapers. The
conservative newspapers mainly handled the cause and effect of climate change and the progressive newspapers
handled the measure. Therefore, it is mandatory that the mass media should give us accurate information.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by research grants of the Chung-Ang University in 2011.
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Table 1. Number of nine newspaper articles on information of climate change from 2009 to 2011
2009 (746)*
Accurate
Vague or
nothing**
Greenhouse gas
433
313
The climate change convention
392
354
Sea level rise
43
703
IPCC synthesis report
74
672
Expected damage, effect
71
675
Use of fossil fuels
51
695
Global warming
360
386
Mitigation or adaptation
139
607
Total
1563/5968 4405/5968
(26%)
(74%)
* Parenthesis includes number of articles
2010 (325)
Accurate
Vague or
nothing
166
159
67
258
4
321
38
287
47
278
24
301
200
125
99
226
645/2600 1955/2600
(25%)
(75%)
2011 (258)
Accurate
Vague or
nothing
125
133
39
219
15
243
17
241
53
205
19
239
174
84
71
187
513/2064 1551/2064
(25%)
(75%)
** Vague or nothing includes the articles that did not mention the above categories, the information did not refer
to precise knowledge or the article had negative of skeptical tone.
800
Number of articles
700
746
600
500
400
325
300
258
200
100
0
2009
2010
2011
Years
Figure 1. Total number of nine newspaper articles from 2009 to 2011
140
Number of articles
120
100
80
conservative
60
progress
40
20
0
cause
effect
measure
Attitude on climate change
Figure 2. The difference of coverage between conservative newspapers and progress newspapers
from 2009 to 2011. The conservative press were Chosun Ilbo, Joongaga Ilbo and The Dong-A
daily News and the progressive press were Hankyoreh Shinmun and Kyunghyang Shinmun.
The article of eight categories were divided into cause (greenhouse has, global warming, use of
fossil fuels), effect (sea level rise, IPCC synthesis report, expected damage and effect) and
measure of climate change (climate change convention, mitigation or adaptation).