| This qualitative study uses discourse analysis to measure the influence of severe weather events on the coverage of climate change in the U.K. and U.S. news magazines over an eleven-year period from 1996 through 2006. Downs' Issue-Attention Cycle, the use of stance words, social manipulation and the framing of science and environmental articles are used to measure the extent to which severe weather events are exploited to imply the presence of climate change. The study found that, while severe weather events may subtly influence the frequency of coverage of climate change, they do not appear to be the primary driving factor. Political events---and in particular, the disparity between climate change views held in Washington, D.C. from those held in much of the rest of the world---appear to have motivated the news media in both the U.S. and U.K. to place a greater emphasis on the issue. |
