These are the best of times for media coverage of climate change, but they still may fall short of “good enough.”
The environment in general and global warming in particular have always suffered from lack of media attention.
Media in America – both print and broadcast – tend to follow their readers’ and viewers interests. The interests of readers and viewers tend to follow media attention – long called the “agenda-setting” function of the media.
It’s like a dog chasing it’s tail.
Through most of the last half-century, environmentalists have been marginalized by moderates and conservatives as a movement of the left. Their issues gained widespread popularity – just about everyone was in favor of clean air and water, preserving wilderness and protecting scenic rivers – but the movement was labled as fringe by the majority of Americans.
As a result, media coverage remained spotty, rising and falling as the dog’s tail sped up or slowed down.
All that is changing with the climate. Global warming isn’t about snail darters and spotted owls – it’s about survival of the planet.
And with the higher stakes comes a higher profile. For the first time in my 35-year career in the media, “green” is a popular color.
Most moderates long ago turned the corner, accepting the science of man-caused global warming. Even most conservatives are looking for a way to recognize what they adamantly rejected just a few years ago.
But is it enough to turn the circling dog into a clear recognition that environmental/energy issues should be at the forefront of the public agenda?
Probably not. Health care reform, the state of the economy and whether Fox News is a savior or evil continue to dominate media in America.
Pushing climate change to the top of the media ladder – breaking through the clutter of issues in the way – probably requires a cataclysmic event.
And by the time climate change creates that kind of commotion, it probably will be too late to do much about it.
Today is Blog Action Day, when bloggers around the world are discussing climate change and what can be done to change the tide (no pun intended).
Maybe this kind of bottom-up “new media” involvement can make a difference. The Internet has altered the balance of power in the world, as traditional media suffer and a free-for-all ensues to figure out who fills the void.
Is it a big enough tidal wave to affect world opinion on climate change? Only time will tell.