Ethics and Effectiveness in Climate Change Communication Handbooks: A Close Reading Analysis

Abstract

The field of climate change communication (CCC) seeks out ways to effectively communicate climate change topics to a less scientifically expert public. To assist climate communicators in crafting messages that have high resonance, engagement, and comprehension among audiences, several best practice guides (BPGs) have been created by academics and climate organizations. While CCC research has been highly developed in terms of effective strategies for audience engagement, little literature exists about the ethical expectations for climate change communicators. This dissertation analyzes the recommendations that inform the work of climate change communicators, as seen through five BPGs. Additionally, this dissertation compiles a list of potential ethical considerations for CCC practitioners and analyzes the depth at which each BPG addresses each of the ethical considerations. Using an a priori and a posteriori approach to close reading analysis, it appears that CCC can achieve both ethics and efficacy. While ethics and effectiveness may come in tension for climate communicators, such as balancing the depth of detail in a communication and its degree of intelligibility, they are not mutually exclusive, nor do the BPGs omit reference to these ethical considerations.