Between Impact, Politics, and Action: Frames of Climate Change in Indonesian Print and Online Media

Abstract

ABSTRACT The lack of research on climate communication in the countries of the Global South is a frequently criticized research gap. This study addresses this problem by investigating the framing of climate change in eight print and online media outlets in Indonesia, the biggest emerging country in Southeast Asia. It identified three frames using cluster analysis: the “climate impact and science” frame, the “climate politics” frame, and the “climate action” frame. Further analyses revealed that print and online media used these frames selectively, as they relied on different news sources (national and international) and gave voice to various actors. These findings demonstrate the organizational influence on climate reporting. Furthermore, the study discovered that climate adaptation strategies were almost absent in the media coverage despite the urgency of this topic for the Indonesian public. Why the media ignore this important aspect needs to be investigated in future research focused on frame-building processes.