ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN MEDIA DISCOURSE

The necessity of considering the mass media and a broad spectrum of their effects on social and cultural processes in reflecting any current phenomenon can hardly be challenged. Environmentalism and climate change are among those topics that have begun resonating in the media ever more frequently in recent years. Although scientific findings on climate change quite often become victims of post-truth, the mass media do reflect on this issue and so they shape the public discourse significantly. Similar passions as seen with media theorists reflecting on the power of the media and their role in public discourse can also be witnessed with eco-philosophers pointing to an alarming situation of the environment. Meanwhile, average recipients acquire most information on environmental issues and possible solutions to these problems from news and documentary forms of presentation by the media. It is obvious therefore that the way of how the media deal with environmental issues requires a thorough reflection, particularly considering the vital importance of many environmental problems.