Congratulations to HALOites Drs. Louise de Lannoy, Mark Tremblay and Eun-Young Lee on their recent publication “Climate in the headlines: Canadian media narratives on climate change and outdoor activities,” just published in City and Environment Interactions! The abstract and citations are below.
Abstract
Climate change-related environmental challenges are increasingly impacting people’s lives, including their ability to enjoy outdoor activities. This study investigated what and how Canadian newspapers frame climate change and outdoor activities—focusing on leisure, recreation, and play. Data collection was conducted using the Canadian Newsstream database in English only. Media analysis was conducted, combining quantitative descriptive analysis and qualitative content analysis. Of 89 articles, the topic coverage has increased since 2008, with Ontario receiving the most attention. The most frequently discussed climate topics were general climate change, wildfires, and warm winters. Four key themes emerged in relation to the topic: adaptation, resilience, economic impacts, and Canadian-ness. Canadian media often framed the impact of climate change on outdoor activities as individual responsibility that can be resolved through personal adaptation and as a threat to national identity, culture, and intergenerational well-being. The findings highlight the media’s capacity to influence equitable policy change by shifting the narrative from individual responsibility towards structural determinants and by reframing outdoor activities as essential to national identity. This approach can help mobilize more inclusive, justice-oriented responses to climate-related disruptions in outdoor life across Canada.
Citation
Jung E, Mistry P, de Lannoy L, Tremblay MS, Lee EY. Climate in the headlines: Canadian media narratives on climate change and outdoor activities. City Environ Interact. 2026;29:100328.
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