Global Environmental Change in the News

Abstract

Important hazards to the global environment, including climate change, ozone depletion, rainforest destruction and species extinction, were prominently covered by the American mass media during the period 1987-90. As a result, these hazards became important problems on the American agenda of risks, and were soon taken up by other nations, at least until news coverage fell after 1990. This article shows why these particular hazards, which had all been recognized by experts for years, suddenly became important news stories after long periods of inattention. It also speculates why these hazards failed to regain much media attention during the period 1992-6, a time when global warming and other problems intensified, and the White House was occupied by an administration ostensibly sympathetic to environmental concerns.