Abstract

This student colloquium examines how journalistic norms, particularly Objectivity, infuence the news coverage of climate science. Objectivity is often framed as impartiality. Relying on this norm, journalists may position themselves towards a “truth-in-the-middle position”, acting as a sort of devil’s advocate. This may obscure scientifc consensus on critical societal challenges through false equivalence, encourage polarization and enable bad actors, which seek to keep public opinion in the limbo of uncertainty. While some evidence on the trends in reliance on the objectivity norm indicates a decline in false balance reporting, these findings are not conclusive. The implications for public discourse on climate change and, ultimately, climate change mitigation are discussed.

Coffee, tea, cakes and fruit will be served before the colloquium at 2 pm