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Cited by 13Climate Change Communication and PerceptionMedia Studies and CommunicationMedia Discourse and Social Analysis

Duelling realities: Conspiracy theories vs climate science in regional newspaper coverage of Ian Plimer’s book,Heaven and Earth

McKewon, Elaine·2012·Rural Society
DOI 10.5172/rsj.2012.21.2.99
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Abstract

In the lead-up to the first Australian parliamentary debates on an emissions trading scheme (ETS) in 2009, Ian Plimer – mining geologist, mining company director and climate change contrarian – published a book that argued there is no link between human activity and climate change. Plimer boasted that his book, Heaven and Earth: Global Warming – The Missing Science, would ‘knock out every single argument we hear about climate change’. While promoting the book in media interviews, Plimer warned that the ETS would destroy mining and agriculture in Australia. Plimer’s book was discredited by Australia’s top climate scientists, yet received mostly favourable coverage in regional newspapers. Using content analysis and critical discourse analysis, this paper examines regional news articles, features, opinion columns, editorials and letters to the editor published between April 1 and June 30, 2009. The paper also considers the impact that media coverage of Plimer and his book had on the public debate on the ETS leading up to the legislation’s defeat.

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Crossref · 10.5172/rsj.2012.21.2.99

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25 of 25 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Popular books critical of climate science routinely refer to global warming as a conspiracy or hoax, and conspiracist themes have been identified in climate media coverage and in people's affective imagery evoked by climate change.

    “Popular books critical of climate science routinely refer to global warming as a “conspiracy” or “hoax” [25], and conspiracist themes have been identified in climate media coverage [26] and in people's affective imagery evoked by climate change [21].”

    From The Role of Conspiracist Ideation and Worldviews in Predicting Rejection of Science (2013) · cites this paper as [26]

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Authors
McKewon, E.
Affiliations
University of Technology Sydney (AU)
Corresponding author
McKewon, Elaine
Venue
Rural Society
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2012-02
Volume
21
Issue
2
Pages
99-115
ISSN
  • 1037-1656 (ISSN-L)
  • 2204-0536
DOI
10.5172/rsj.2012.21.2.99
OpenAlex
W1998588044
Cited by
13
References
25
Citations by year
2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 5
FWCI
8.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Rural Society (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Discourse and Social Analysis
Keywords
heaven and earth, climate change denial, conspiracy theories, climate science, regional press, media coverage, emissions trading scheme, public debate, mining industry

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