ORIGINAL PAPER
Climate Change Communication and the Media: Bridging the Gap
 
More details
Hide details
1
Faculty of Finance and Management, WSB Merito University in Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
 
2
Faculty of Applied Studies, DSW University of Lower Silesia, Wrocław, Poland
 
3
University of Wroclaw, Institute of Journalism and Social Communication, Wrocław, Poland
 
These authors had equal contribution to this work
 
 
Submission date: 2025-10-08
 
 
Final revision date: 2026-06-11
 
 
Acceptance date: 2026-06-16
 
 
Publication date: 2026-07-29
 
 
Corresponding author
Hanna Jadwiga Pachurka   

Faculty of Applied Studies, DSW University of Lower Silesia, Wrocław, Poland
 
 
JoMS 2026;66(2):452-466
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
The article aims to explore the role of communication science in shaping effective climate change messaging, with a particular focus on the use of media in governmental campaigns. The objective is to identify the key features of successful climate change communication and to analyse how these are implemented in the Polish campaign “Our Climate”.

Material and methods:
The study combines a systematic literature review of 133 recent publications (2021–2024) with a qualitative case study of the Polish “Our Climate” campaign (2021–2022). Thirty videos, 20 infographics and 30 social media messages were analysed through directed content analysis using categories from the literature.

Results:
The literature review identified key features of successful communication, including personalization and localization, evidence-based argumentation, storytelling, value orientation, hope-based framing, co-benefits emphasis, and two-way engagement. The “Our Climate” campaign applied these elements by presenting localized and personalized content, using storytelling techniques, involving experts and influencers, promoting everyday pro-climate actions, and ensuring inclusivity.

Conclusions:
The findings indicate that effective climate change communication requires more than facts; it must link to values, emotions, and local contexts. The case study shows that governmental campaigns can be successful when they combine multi-channel, long-term strategies with interactive and inclusive approaches. The study underlines that small-scale, everyday actions, presented in a hopeful and relatable way, can engage diverse audiences and strengthen societal commitment to climate action.
REFERENCES (47)
1.
Amann, J., & Doidge, M. (2023). ‘I Hadn’t Realised That Change Is Not a Difficult Thing’: Mobilising Football Fans on Climate Change. Sociology, 57(6), 1339-1355. https://doi.org/10.1177/003803....
 
2.
Armbruster, S.T., Manchanda, R. V., Vo, N. (2022), When Are Loss Frames More Effective in Climate Change Communication? An Application of Fear Appeal Theory, Sustainability, 14(12), 7411; https://doi.org/10.3390/su1412....
 
3.
Bergmann, Z., & Ossewaarde, R. (2020). Youth climate activists meet environmental governance: ageist depictions of the FFF movement and Greta Thunberg in German newspaper coverage. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 15(3), 267–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/174471....
 
4.
Bilfinger, L., Brummernhenrich, B., Jucks, R. (2024). The effects of fear appeals on reactance in climate change communication, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 115, 104666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp....
 
5.
Cagle, L. E., & Tillery, D. (2015). Climate Change Research Across Disciplines: The Value and Uses of Multidisciplinary Research Reviews for Technical Communication. Technical Communication Quarterly, 24(2), 147–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/105722....
 
6.
Casiraghi , L., Kim, E., & Hara, N. (2024). Tweeting on thin ice: Scientists in dialogic climate change communication with the public. First Monday, 29(6). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v29....
 
7.
Corner, A., & Randall, A. (2011). Selling climate change? The limitations of social marketing as a strategy for climate change public engagement. Global Environmental Change, 21, 1005–1014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloe....
 
8.
de Moor, J., De Vydt, M., Uba, K., & Wahlström, M. (2020). New kids on the block: taking stock of the recent cycle of climate activism. Social Movement Studies, 20(5), 619–625. https://doi.org/10.1080/147428....
 
9.
Ferreira, M., Nunes, N., Ferreira, P., Pereira, H., Nisi, V. (2024). Connecting audiences with climate change: Towards humanised and action-focused data interactions, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 192, 103341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhc....
 
10.
Fuller R, Landrigan P, Balakrishnan K et al. (2022) Pollution and health: a progress update. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2022; 6, e535-e547.
 
11.
Furlong, C., & Vignoles, V. L. (2020). Social Identification in Collective Climate Activism: Predicting Participation in the Environmental Movement, Extinction Rebellion. Identity, 21(1), 20–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/152834....
 
12.
Gardner, P., Carvalho, T., & Valenstain, M. (2022). Spreading rebellion?: The rise of extinction rebellion chapters across the world. Environmental Sociology, 8(4), 424–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/232510....
 
13.
Ghirardello, L. & Isetti, I. (2023). Is tragedy the true language of science? Unleashing the emotional power of theatrical storytelling for climate change communication. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 32(3), 296-303. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.....
 
14.
Johnstone, C., & Stickles, E. (2024). Navigating the climate change minefield: the influence of metaphor on climate doomism. Frontiers in communication, 9, 380092. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1380092.
 
15.
Kleres, J., & Wettergren, Å. (2017). Fear, hope, anger, and guilt in climate activism. Social Movement Studies, 16(5), 507–519. https://doi.org/10.1080/147428....
 
16.
Kondo, K., Mabon, L., Bi, Y., Chen, Y., Hayabuchi, Y. (2021). Balancing conflicting mitigation and adaptation behaviours of urban residents under climate change and the urban heat island effect, Sustainable Cities and Society, 65, 102585, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.....
 
17.
Kundzewicz, Z.W. and Matczak, P. (2012), Climate change regional review: Poland. WIREs Clim Change, 3: 297-311. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.17....
 
18.
Kundzewicz, Z. W., Painter, J., & Kundzewicz, W. J. (2019). Climate Change in the Media: Poland’s Exceptionalism. Environmental Communication, 13(3), 366–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/175240....
 
19.
Kundzewicz, Z.W., Piniewski, M., Mezghani, A. et al. (2018). Assessment of climate change and associated impact on selected sectors in Poland. Acta Geophys. 66, 1509–1523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600....
 
20.
Latter, B. (2022). Climate Change Communication and Engagement With Older People in England. Frontiers in communication, 7, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.....
 
21.
Maciaszek R. (2023). Łowca Obcych – Polish database of aquatic alien species. https://lowcaobcych.pl (accessed 05.11.2024).
 
22.
Malhi, G. S., Kaur, M., & Kaushik, P. (2021). Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Its Mitigation Strategies: A Review. Sustainability, 13(3), 1318. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1303....
 
23.
Martel-Morin, M., & Lachapelle, E. (2022). Code red for humanity or time for broad collective action? Exploring the role of positive and negative messaging in (de)motivating climate action. Frontiers in Communication, 7, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.....
 
24.
Michalak, D. (2017). A Comparative Analysis of Initiatives and Adaptation Measures To Climate Change Undertaken in Poland and Eastern EU Countries. Comparative Economic Research. Central and Eastern Europe, 20(3), 95-115. https://doi.org/10.1515/cer-20....
 
25.
Ministerstwo Klimatu i Środowiska (2022a). Kampania Nasz klimat spot 1 – 30” napisy pl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... (accessed 05.11.2024).
 
26.
Ministesrtwo Klimatu i Środowiska (2022b). Kampania Nasz klimat spot 2 – 30” napisy pl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... (accessed 05.11.2024).
 
27.
Ministerstwo Klimatu i Środowiska (2022c). Konferencja podsumowująca kampanię Nasz Klimat. https://www.facebook.com/watch... (accessed 05.11.2024).
 
28.
Ministerstwo Klimatu i Środowiska (2022d). Internetowy spot reklamowy kampanii Nasz Klimat – Caritas – Laudato Si 30 sek. j. mig. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... (accessed 05.11.2024).
 
29.
Muradova, L., Walker, H., & Colli, F. (2020). Climate change communication and public engagement in interpersonal deliberative settings: Evidence from the Irish citizens’ assembly. Climate Policy, 20(10), 1322–1335. https://doi.org/10.1080/146930....
 
30.
NASA. (n/d). What Is Climate Change? https://science.nasa.gov/clima... (accessed 05.06.2026).
 
31.
Nisbet, M. C. (2009). Communicating climate change: Why frames matter for public engagement. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 51(2), 12–23. https://doi.org/10.3200/ENVT.5....
 
32.
Pacifici, M., Foden, W., Visconti, P. et al. Assessing species vulnerability to climate change. Nature Clim Change 5, 215–224 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclima....
 
33.
Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment (2022). Kampania Nasz Klimat zachęca Polaków do zmiany nawyków. https://www.gov.pl/web/klimat/... (accessed 29.10.2024).
 
34.
Saldaña, J. (2021). The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. SAGE Publications Ltd.
 
35.
Sambrook, K., Russel, S., Okan, Y., & Konstantinidis, E. (2023). Outdoor Sport in Extreme Heat: Capturing the Personal Experiences of Elite Athletes. Weather, Climate, and Society, 15(3), 619–631. https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D....
 
36.
Schmid-Petri, H., & Bürger, M. (2022). The effect of misinformation and inoculation: Replication of an experiment on the effect of false experts in the context of climate change communication. Public Understanding of Science, 31(2), 152-167. https://doi.org/10.1177/096366....
 
37.
Seidl, R., Thom, D., Kautz, M. et al. Forest disturbances under climate change. Nature Clim Change 7, 395–402 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclima....
 
38.
Shim, D. (2024). Personalising climate change—how activists from Fridays for Future visualise climate action on Instagram. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11, Article number: 1073,.
 
39.
Soler-i-Martí, R., Fernández-Planells, A., & Pérez-Altable, L. (2024). Bringing the future into the present: the notion of emergency in the youth climate movement. Social Movement Studies, 23(4), 517–536. https://doi.org/10.1080/147428....
 
40.
Sorce, G., & Dumitrica, D. (2021). #fighteverycrisis: Pandemic Shifts in Fridays for Future’s Protest Communication Frames. Environmental Communication, 17(3), 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/175240....
 
41.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbus....
 
42.
Spaiser, V., Dunn, K., Milner, P., & Moore, J. (2024). The effects of communicating climate change threat: mobilizing anger and authoritarian affect displacement. Environmental Sociology, 10(4), 408–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/232510....
 
43.
Svensson, A., & Wahlström, M. (2021). Climate change or what? Prognostic framing by Fridays for Future protesters. Social Movement Studies, 22(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/147428....
 
44.
Taylor, R., Scanlon, B., Döll, P. et al. Ground water and climate change. Nature Clim Change 3, 322–329 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclima....
 
45.
Teso-Alonso M.G., Morales Corral, E., Gaitán Moya, J.E. (2021). The Climate Emergency in the Spanish Media and the Decalogue of Recommendations for Reporting on Climate Change. Communication and Society, 34(2), 107-123. doi: 10.15581/003.34.2.107-123.
 
46.
Waters, Y.L., Wilson, K.A., Dean, A.J., (2024). The role of iconic places, collective efficacy, and negative emotions in climate change communication, Environmental Science & Policy, 151, 103635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envs....
 
47.
Woodley, E., Barr, S., Stott, P., Thomet, P., Flint, S., Lovell, F., O’Malley, E., Plews, D., Rapley, C., Robbins, C., Pearce, R., and Sandover, R. (2022). Climate Stories: enabling and sustaining arts interventions in climate science communication, Geosci. Commun., 5, 339–354, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-5-3....
 
eISSN:2391-789X
ISSN:1734-2031
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top