“They have to do something:” News Coverage of Climate Change and Generation Z

Abstract

In a January 2021 Pew Research Center report, climate change was singled out as a “defining issue” for Generation Z (Tyson et al., 2021). Featuring the findings of a survey of nearly 10,000 members of Generation Z, climate change was repeatedly identified as a top priority impacting the group’s interests, activism actions, and digital media engagement. The Pew study seemingly confirmed what many journalists, political pundits, and even organizational leaders theorized about the newest generation of citizens: climate change permeated the group unlike any other issue. The Pew study launched hundreds of news articles, covering both its findings as well as the growing climate change movement embraced by Generation Z. News articles have the potential to shape intra and inter-group perceptions of (and actions within) generational political and civic engagement. Thus, understanding the nature of this coverage is critical to anticipating and constructing future climate change activism.