MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN TÜRKİYE: A MULTI-METHOD STUDY

Authors : Neslihan Bulur, Sadettin Demirel, Zindan Çakıcı

Pages : 327-357

Doi:10.19145/e-gifder.1582900

View : 106 | Download : 126

Publication Date : 2025-03-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examines the representation of climate change in Turkish news media by analyzing 2,329 climate change-related tweets from eight outlets, divided along pro-government and anti-government lines. Using a multi-method approach that incorporates sentiment analysis, text analysis, and content analysis, the research identifies notable differences in climate change coverage across ideological camps. The findings reveal a prevailing negativity bias, with anti-government outlets showing a significantly higher proportion of negative sentiment compared to pro-government outlets, which focus predominantly on political figures and government offices. While pro-government media emphasizes government efforts to mitigate climate change, anti-government outlets give more prominence to expert opinions and devote less attention to politicians. Both sides emphasize the outcomes of climate change, such as extreme weather events and economic impacts, but show limited engagement with its systemic causes. Pro-government outlets, in particular, show lower attention to the root causes of the climate crisis. This selective coverage suggests that political alignments shape not only the tone but also the depth of climate change reporting, influencing public understanding of the crisis. The study contributes to discussions on media’s role in climate communication by illustrating how political ideologies shape environmental issue framing in Turkey\\\'s polarized media landscape. These findings highlight the need for critical media literacy to navigate ideologically driven representations and promote a more informed public discourse on climate change.
Keywords : İklim Değişikliği, Medya Temsili, Haber Medyası, Metin Analizi, Twitter, X