Spreading the News on Carbon Capture and Storage: A State-Level Comparison of US Media

Abstract

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has received abundant federal support in the USA as an energy technology to mitigate climate change, yet its position within the energy system remains uncertain. Because media play a significant role in shaping public conversations about science and technology, we analyzed media portrayal of CCS in newspapers from four strategically selected states. We grounded the analysis in Luhmann's theory of social functions, operationalized through the socio-political evaluation of energy deployment (SPEED) framework. Coverage emphasized economic, political/legal, and technical functions and focused on benefits, rather than risks of adoption. Although news coverage connected CCS with climate change, the connection was constrained by political/legal functions. Media responses to this constraint indicate how communication across multiple social functions may influence deployment of energy technologies.

Keywords

anthropogenic climate change; energy; fossil fuels; technology diffusion

Published in

Environmental Communication
2013, Volume: 7, number: 3, pages: 336-354 Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

SLU Authors

• Peterson, Tarla

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Texas A&M University
  • University of Utah

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG7 Affordable and clean energy
SDG13 Climate action


UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2013.807859

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/54608