2026/05/20 by Line Weldingh · 2 voices
Environmental Science · Social Sciences · #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Climate Change and Environmental Impact #Media Studies and Communication
paper · doi:10.22323/172720260208061741
openalex publication_date 2026/05/20 · openalex created_date 2026/05/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
News media play a crucial role in communicating climate change, yet journalistic norms and commercial considerations pose challenges. Still, coverage is increasingly prioritised, even though, according to international research, audience interest remains limited. Through the lens of news media logic, this article examines whether this trend is reflected in journalistic practice by illustrating how commercial and normative logic shapes Danish climate journalists' perceptions of climate change in a country with high climate concerns. The findings show that journalists face challenges related to commercial logic, particularly regarding the complexity of the issue and its perceived lack of newsworthiness. Indeed, climate change's low news value has led to its perception as `boring' in many newsrooms. Although normative logic, where public opinion formation takes precedence over commercial considerations, dominates among climate journalists and is gaining broader acceptance, it cannot be concluded that climate journalism is moving in a normative direction.