The Role of Risk Perceptions in Climate Change Communication: A Media Analysis on the UK Winter Floods 2015/2016

Mud, metaphors and politics: Meaning-making during the 2021 German floods

“…One chapter of the Handbook of Climate Change Communication , which focused on media reporting of the UK winter floods in 2015/16 makes an important point which guided our analysis: ‘Given that increased flood risk due to climate change is a reality, and that there is evidence that this increased risk is not yet understood by the public, nor addressed by the media, we suggest that a change is needed. Not only is there a need for more dialogue between those at risk and the flood risk management authorities and between experts and the public and the media and the public, but also a need for improved risk communication delivered with greater understanding of how at-risk communities perceive risk’ (Cologna et al, 2018: 277). Building upon this work, we suggest that a focus upon human and environmental values is also important.…”

“…Examining how the flood was framed in the media provides insight into the broad public perception of floods' (Bohensky and Leitch, 2014: 475). In this article, we show that such perceptions go beyond risk perceptions and resilience calculations, which have often been the focus of research into floods and people (Cologna et al, 2017(Cologna et al, , 2018Devitt and O'Neill, 2017).…”