Cross-Cultural Media Representations of Climate Change: Implications for Global Environmental Cooperation and Earth System Protection
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article discusses how climate change is cross-culturally mediated in the media and what this entails in terms of maintaining environmental collaboration and guardianship of the Earth system globally. Although the science of climate change is not disputed, the media representations of the problem diffuse widely in various cultural settings depending on the historical, social, and political conditions. These variations may provide opportunities as well as challenges towards the creation of a coherent global response to the climate crisis. The article discusses how the media in North America, Europe, the Global South, and Indigenous communities are framing climate change, and it focuses on the aspects of justice, technological solutions, and collective responsibility. It emphasizes the possibility of the media to create cross-cultural communication, prompt social action, and impact policy that will create sustainability in the environment. Also, the article addresses the significance of media approaches with a cultural understanding within the development of behavior change and the promotion of international collaboration on climate change action. The article concludes that the media, when well utilized, can become a potent instrument in the protection of the Earth's systems and the climate crisis experienced by the global world, despite the difficulties of misinformation, political and unequal access to the media.
Authors: Ruihe Sun, Chaofeng Sun, Xindi Liu
Institution: Royal College of Art
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7203459435