A frequent use of threat-oriented language (i.e. emphasis on risks/warnings, emotionally charged terms/metaphors, alarmism) is evident in the discourse on climate change. This style of climate communication is criticized by some, as sustainability issues and instructions for action are not sufficiently covered. In contrast, there is solution-oriented climate communication (i.e. characterized by appeals/encouragement, emphasis on success/empowerment, instructions), which, in addition to describing the problems of climate change, also specifies how climate protection can be implemented at an individual, economic and political level.

These content-related and rhetorical orientations are associated with different emotional components, whereby threat orientation tends to be associated with climate fear and hopelessness and solution orientation strengthens the relationship between hope and action. The project deals with the interplay between climate reporting and its social impact in three dimensions: media climate communication, self-perception and unconscious reactions.

The aim is to use the climate debate as a tool to promote green change and climate-friendly behavior and to overcome psychological backgrounds such as existential fear and hopelessness. Both climate-friendly options for action at an individual level and measures at a societal level are taken into account. One of the challenges here is that effective measures often require a great deal of personal effort, which makes them less attractive. Within the project, a comprehensive study of climate change news in Austrian newspapers over the last 20 years will be carried out using sentiment analysis in order to capture prevailing moods and opinions in the published articles.

In addition, two empirical studies will be carried out to investigate the reactions to threat-oriented and solution-oriented news. A social science study records self-perception regarding the willingness to behave in a climate-friendly manner when people are confronted with climate news. A psychophysiological study supplements these findings by investigating autonomous reactions using MRI examinations.

The project goal is to obtain a holistic picture of the extent to which threat- and solution-oriented messages are disseminated through news articles and how this practice can influence climate anxiety and other threat-related emotions, empowerment and actions, including the promotion of climate-friendly behavior. Based on these findings and accompanied by co-creation workshops, targeted strategies to improve climate communication will be developed for different stakeholders such as journalists, politicians and the public.