Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in China
Cities are recognized as significant contributors to carbon emissions due to their numerous productive enterprises and dense populations. Tackling climate change and achieving the transformation to low-carbon cities requires public participation. News media serve as the primary channel for the publi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1506313/full |
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| author | Yan Wu Pim Martens Thomas Krafft Thomas Krafft |
| author_facet | Yan Wu Pim Martens Thomas Krafft Thomas Krafft |
| author_sort | Yan Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cities are recognized as significant contributors to carbon emissions due to their numerous productive enterprises and dense populations. Tackling climate change and achieving the transformation to low-carbon cities requires public participation. News media serve as the primary channel for the public to gain relevant information, and journalists’ attitudes significantly influence the content of related news reports. This study focuses on the attitudes of Chinese journalists towards the transition to low-carbon cities, using semi-structured interviews in qualitative research to conduct 31 interviews with participants from Chinese mainstream medias. This research discussed the journalists’ attitudes towards the low-carbon city transition, based on our samples studies, we find that (1) low-carbon city development brings some new opportunities for economic development and improving the overall urban living environment, despite challenges like lack of professional knowledge and information gaps. (2) Newsworthiness, audience preferences, journalists’ climate scientific knowledge, and management mechanisms, are key factors influencing journalists’ choice to cover low-carbon topics. Despite an increase in related reports, many media do not prioritize climate change or low-carbon transitions as core topics, and environmental news have a life cycle. (3) We suggests that media enhance collaboration with stakeholders, increase audience interaction to learn diverse voices, using storytelling and integrating technological innovations to improve low-carbon communication. This study highlights the complex interactions between media, public participation, and environmental policies, offering a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities in promoting more inclusive and equitable low-carbon city transition. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6101486459ee49b5a3c1a47f2fb5ad65 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-6101486459ee49b5a3c1a47f2fb5ad652025-01-09T06:10:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2025-01-011210.3389/fenvs.2024.15063131506313Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in ChinaYan Wu0Pim Martens1Thomas Krafft2Thomas Krafft3Department of Health, Ethics & Society, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, NetherlandsSystem Earth Science, University College Venlo, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Maastricht, NetherlandsDepartment of Health, Ethics & Society, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, NetherlandsInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCities are recognized as significant contributors to carbon emissions due to their numerous productive enterprises and dense populations. Tackling climate change and achieving the transformation to low-carbon cities requires public participation. News media serve as the primary channel for the public to gain relevant information, and journalists’ attitudes significantly influence the content of related news reports. This study focuses on the attitudes of Chinese journalists towards the transition to low-carbon cities, using semi-structured interviews in qualitative research to conduct 31 interviews with participants from Chinese mainstream medias. This research discussed the journalists’ attitudes towards the low-carbon city transition, based on our samples studies, we find that (1) low-carbon city development brings some new opportunities for economic development and improving the overall urban living environment, despite challenges like lack of professional knowledge and information gaps. (2) Newsworthiness, audience preferences, journalists’ climate scientific knowledge, and management mechanisms, are key factors influencing journalists’ choice to cover low-carbon topics. Despite an increase in related reports, many media do not prioritize climate change or low-carbon transitions as core topics, and environmental news have a life cycle. (3) We suggests that media enhance collaboration with stakeholders, increase audience interaction to learn diverse voices, using storytelling and integrating technological innovations to improve low-carbon communication. This study highlights the complex interactions between media, public participation, and environmental policies, offering a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities in promoting more inclusive and equitable low-carbon city transition.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1506313/fullJournalistsmass medialow-carbon city transformationclimate changecommunicationqualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Yan Wu Pim Martens Thomas Krafft Thomas Krafft Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in China Frontiers in Environmental Science Journalists mass media low-carbon city transformation climate change communication qualitative research |
| title | Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in China |
| title_full | Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in China |
| title_fullStr | Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in China |
| title_short | Communication, inclusion, and environmental justice - journalists’ attitudes towards low-carbon city transformation in China |
| title_sort | communication inclusion and environmental justice journalists attitudes towards low carbon city transformation in china |
| topic | Journalists mass media low-carbon city transformation climate change communication qualitative research |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1506313/full |
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