A guide to a positive change of direction in media coverage of the climate crisis.
The project “Kippelemente” is a guide to a positive change of direction in media coverage of the climate crisis.
The climate narrative in media reporting is often deterministic and causes panic and powerlessness in the recipient's mind. Our guide provides practical help for media professionals to circumvent precisely these negative narratives and to use the power of language in their efforts to combat the climate crisis. The positive-realistic framing of change and the identification of possible scope for action can strengthen the readers by informing them about facts on the one hand, but also about their own potential for action on the other. Accordingly, our guide aims to explain the power of language, but also to point out frequent mistakes of unsustainable climate crisis communication. In addition, the readers will be provided with examples of positive and negative climate crisis communication.
KIPPELEMENTE at the Climate Story Lab
Regarding our participation at the Climate Story Lab we are aiming to develop a workshop format for journalists that identifies the core aspects of sustainable climate crisis communication. We believe in the impact of journalism. With our guide and the workshops we would like to contribute to less fatalistic climate crisis narratives circulating in the media world and thus contribute to a positive and scientifically based change of direction.
This project will be presented by Selma Weber and Sophie Michel during the Climate Story Lab.
Sophie Michel was born in Ludwigsburg, but has lived in Berlin for more than ten years now. After her BA in Art History and Philosophy she now studies Communication in Social and Economic Contexts at UdK Berlin University of the Arts and works in public relations for the Stifterverband. Prior to that, she worked in galleries, museums and art collections in Berlin and Reyjavík in the field of press and communication. She furthermore made first experiences with journalism during her studies.
Selma Weber first understood the power of the individual when she convinced a multi-national hotel group to no longer throw out their unused foods. The Berlin resident quickly managed to repeat this with other hotels, too. In her native country of Luxembourg, Selma founded a political film and theater collective with her friends, where she performed on and off stage. She studies Communication in Social and Economic Contexts at UdK Berlin University of the Arts. When Selma’s not working on finishing her MA degree, she is volunteering as digital communications officer and campaigner at the student lead climate initiative “UDK for future” and is still saving food from being thrown out.
