Environ. Commun. http://doi.org/d3r3 (2020).

Adaptation is necessary to minimize the harm caused by climate change and the associated increase in severity and frequency of extreme events. However, to develop adaptation strategies, decisions must be made about who should adapt, when, and for what purpose. Media coverage of adaptation may shape public opinion on these issues through narratives that are repeated and reinforced over time, and could ultimately inform whether societies choose to adapt, and how.

Rachel Harcourt and colleagues from University of Leeds and University of Southern California conducted a narrative analysis of adaptation coverage in national and regional UK newspapers. They found that media coverage tended to present adaptation as a response to immediate threats such as flooding, which are dependent on national government action and intended to preserve the current way of life. There was little discussion of long-term challenges and compromises. The authors caution that this narrow view of adaptation focussing on flooding and government response might undermine individual adaptation efforts, disengage those not facing flood risks and restrict the range of policy options under consideration.