Climate change and the course we take to adapt our economies and societies to the shocks produced by Earth systems collapse is, perhaps, the biggest story of our time. How media tell the climate story gives us an indication of the dominant narratives informing a society’s understanding of climate change, and where societal priorities are understood to lie in relation to the actions required to survive it.
In this report, we unpack how South Africans understand the climate story and are participating in shaping it to find out whether there is a correlation between the ways in which climate topics are reported by the media and social attitudes towards them.
We explore the relationship social media users as well as communities and organisations that are affected by climate change adaptation policy outcomes have with these topics, surfacing their direct perspectives and experiences. We also detail the climate news and information needs of audiences that would support their willingness and ability to participate in tracking and informing climate change adaptation debates and developments.