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Green Communication after COP15 – Fading to
Black?
The Journalistic Perspective
1. Outline
2. Green Communication – the Journalistic Perspective
3. Problems of Climate Reporting
4.Clima(x) in C/Hopenhagen
5.Outside the Bella Center
6. Conclusions/Outlook
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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2. Green Communication – The Journalistic
Perspective
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Participants in the global dialogue: Governments, NGOs, businesses, citizens, media
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History of climate discourse
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Climate change celebrity Al Gore, an inconvenient truth: representing over 30 years
of ongoing debate
A heavily discussed sentence: "Most of the observed increase in global average
temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in
anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations."
A real global issue: A” great deal of globality is manifested through communications
[...]" (Scholte 2005, 67)
Let's redefine the term (for journalists)!
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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3. Problems of Climate Reporting
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Awareness – media penetration
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Abstractness – climate change is not sexy enough
Eco-Fatigue – climate change again? It is caused by strengthened by the
"disconnect(ion) [...] journalism's coverage of climate change as a world crisis and what
audiences and publics can or should do with this new information and its affective charge"
(Cottle 2009, 88).
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Local Connection – it's snowing in Denmark!
"The National Pull" - "The content of international reporting is however often moulded by
national viewpoints and stereotypes, that is, by particularistic rather than global
perspectives." (Hafez 2007, 26).
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Scepticism – the (moral) dilemma of objectivity
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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Interviews
Maria Winther, TV journalist
Troels Kingo, radio journalist
Zac Scheurer, photographer
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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4. Clima(x) in Copenhagen
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A controversial debate
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Pro Failure:
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No legally binding agreement
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No Compensation
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Trojan Horse of Green Communication
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Destroying Kyoto
Contra Failure
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New points on the agenda
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Great concession
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An important step of many
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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5. Outside the Bella Center
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Global Movements
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Climatejusticefast, climatejusticenow
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Indegenious peoples
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Sixmillionothers
Business and PeRspective
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Best Practice: DEST Conference, Verbraucheruersklima.de, Earth hour,
Climatechangers
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A new Religion? Green Lifestyle – "media legitimizing movements"
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Cosmopolitan Media: Media-brokered diplomacy, global public spheres
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Localizing global effects: the "Backyard Philosophy"
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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6. Conclusions/Pledges
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Pledges
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Drink the Last COP of Sorrow. Ivo de Boer: "Copenhagen brought many issues
to the advanced stage of negotiations. But at the same time, the process has
been overly focused on difficult political issues. In a way, the negotiations would
benefit from being somewhat depoliticized. More than ever, there is a need to
focus on substantive issues in order to make long-term climate change
cooperation work."
Keep an ongoing drumbeat of coverage for sustainability (interconnected
challenges of mankind)
Provide more alternatives to traditional reporting. Steve Nash: “The future of
journalism is located in the emerging countries and the regions which are more
immediately (physically) concerned with results of climate change."
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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Sources
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www.globaldialogueconference.org
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www.cop15.dk
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http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_15/items/5257.php
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http://hces-conference.com
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http://www.conversationsonearth.org
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http://www.verbraucherfuersklima.de
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http://www.bricksite.com/climatechangers
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http://www.6milliardsdautres.org/
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http://www.climatejusticefast.org
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http://www.climate-justice-now.org
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http://www.home-2009.com
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dOfBEm5DZU&feature=related
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http://www.earthhour.org.au/
Bordeaux, 29-30th of March
2010
Green Communication - Fading to Black?
by Torsten Mueller
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