ECOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF CLIMATE-CHANGE NARRATIVES IN ENGLISH MEDIA

Abstract

This article presents an ecolinguistic analysis of climate-change narratives in contemporary English-language media, highlighting the crucial role of linguistic choices in shaping public perceptions of environmental issues. Drawing on discourse analysis, cognitive linguistics, and ecolinguistic theory, the study investigates how specific lexical, metaphorical, and evaluative patterns construct particular understandings of climate change and influence collective attitudes toward ecological responsibility. The analysis focuses on a diverse set of media texts produced between 2020 and 2024, including news reports, digital media content, and opinion pieces from leading English-language outlets.

The findings identify three dominant narrative frames that recur across media discourse. The alarmist frame emphasizes crisis, urgency, and catastrophic consequences, often employing emotionally charged language that highlights the severity of climate-related threats. The solution-oriented frame foregrounds innovation, policy action, and community responses, presenting climate change as a challenge that can be addressed through coordinated global efforts. The politically polarized frame positions climate change within ideological conflict, reflecting broader societal divisions and shaping audience interpretations along partisan lines.

In addition to framing, the study reveals systematic use of metaphors—particularly war, medical, and natural disaster metaphors—which contribute to emotional engagement and influence cognitive processing of environmental information. Evaluative expressions and patterns of agency attribution further shape judgments about responsibility, blame, and potential solutions.

Overall, the research demonstrates that media discourse plays a central role in constructing environmental ideologies. By uncovering the linguistic mechanisms that support either ecologically beneficial or ecologically destructive worldviews, the study underscores the need for more constructive, balanced, and sustainability-oriented communication practices in climate-change reporting.