Analyzing Climate Change Communication Through Online Games

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Ouariachi ◽  
María Dolores Olvera-Lobo ◽  
José Gutiérrez-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Delphi Method ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Online Games ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Innovative Approaches

In search of innovative approaches capable of connecting climate change issues with teenagers, scholars and practitioners have become interested in harnessing the potential of gaming for advancing climate change communication. This article aims to propose a set of criteria, validated by experts through the Delphi method, by which to analyze communicative features of online climate change games. The use of the criteria is illustrated with an evaluation of a sample of Spanish games to which we apply qualitative content analysis, narratology, and ludology techniques. Our findings reveal some positive communicative trends in terms of narratives, contents, and gameplay.

Content Analysis in Climate Change Communication

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Metag
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Content Analyses

Content analysis is one of the most frequently used methods in climate change communication research. Studies implementing content analysis investigate how climate change is presented in mass media or other communication content. Quantitative content analysis develops a standardized codebook to code content systematically, which then allows for statistical analysis. Qualitative analysis relies on interpretative methods and a closer reading of the material, often using hermeneutic approaches and taking linguistic features of the text more into account than quantitative analysis. While quantitative analysis—particularly if conducted automatically—can comprise larger samples, qualitative analysis usually entails smaller samples, as it is more detailed. Different types of material—whether online content, campaign material, or climate change imagery—bring about different challenges when studied through content analysis that need to be considered when drawing samples of the material for content analysis. To evaluate the quality of a content analysis measures for reliability and validity are used. Key themes in content analyses of climate change communication are the media’s attention to climate change and the different points of view on global warming as an issue being present in the media coverage. Challenges for content analysis as a method for assessing climate change communication arise from the lack of comparability of the various studies that exist. Multimodal approaches are developed to better adhere to both textual and visual content simultaneously in content analyses of climate change communication.

Frame Analysis in Climate Change Communication

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike S. Schäfer ◽  
Saffron O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Frame Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Media Portrayals ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Methodological Approaches

Framing—selecting certain aspects of a given issue and making them more salient in communication in order to “frame” the issue in a specific way—is a key concept in the study of communication. At the same time, it has been used very differently in scholarship, leading some to declare it a “fractured paradigm,” or an idea whose usefulness has expired. In studies of climate change communication, frame analyses have been used numerous times and in various ways, from formal framing approaches (e.g., episodic vs. thematic framing) to topical frames (both generic and issue-specific). Using methodological approaches of frame analysis from content analysis over discourse analysis and qualitative studies to experimental research, this research has brought valuable insights into media portrayals of climate change in different countries and their effects on audiences—even though it still has limitations that should be remedied in future research.

scholarly journals Discussing climate change online. Topics and perceptions in online climate change communication in different online public arenas

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. A03 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Lörcher ◽  
Monika Taddicken
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Automated Content Analysis ◽  
Barriers To Communication ◽  
Reader Comments

How users discuss climate change online is one of the crucial questions (science) communication scholars address nowadays. This study contributes by approaching the issue through the theoretical concept of online public arenas. The diversity of topics and perceptions in the climate change discourse is explored by comparing different arenas. German journalistic articles and their reader comments as well as scientific expert blogs are analyzed by quantitative manual and automated content analysis (n=5,301). Findings demonstrate a larger diversity of topics and interpretations in arenas with low barriers to communication. Overall, climate change skepticism is rare, but mostly present in lay publics.

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