The Climate Battles of Ideas: Minority Discourses in Readers’ Comments to Climate Change Articles in the Portuguese Press
Author Information
Author(s): Nuno Monteiro Ramos, Paula Castro
Primary Institution: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Portugal
Hypothesis
How do minority discourses in readers' comments on climate change articles reflect public understanding and contribute to the climate change debate?
Conclusion
Readers' comments on climate change articles in Portuguese newspapers reveal a significant presence of minority discourses that challenge dominant narratives.
Supporting Evidence
- 28% of comments in the study expressed climate change minority ideas.
- 52% of comments used the technique of Condemnation of the Condemner.
- 35% of comments expressed some form of epistemic skepticism about climate change.
Takeaway
Some people in Portugal have different opinions about climate change, and they share these opinions in comments on news articles, even if most people believe climate change is caused by humans.
Methodology
The study analyzed readers' comments on climate change articles from two Portuguese newspapers over a two-and-a-half-year period, focusing on the presence of minority discourses and employing neutralization techniques and meaning barriers.
Potential Biases
The comments may reflect a bias towards delegitimizing climate change advocates, using negative stereotypes and populist rhetoric.
Limitations
The study could not determine the number of unique commentators, which limits understanding of the extent of the network pushing minority views.
Participant Demographics
Comments were collected from readers of two mainstream Portuguese newspapers with different political orientations.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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