The Cartography of Climate Change in United States Media
Open Access
- Author:
- Fish, Carolyn
- Graduate Program:
- Geography
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- July 20, 2018
- Committee Members:
- Cynthia Ann Brewer, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Cynthia Ann Brewer, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Anthony C Robinson, Committee Member
Roger Michael Downs, Committee Member
Janet Kay Swim, Outside Member - Keywords:
- cartography
climate change communication
map design
graphic journalism
storytelling - Abstract:
- Climate change is a multidimensional, complex, spatially uneven, and changing problem which has significant impacts to the environment and society. Maps are a particularly powerful means by which to communicate these impacts, and the media and government outreach programs are often tasked with communicating to audiences to bridge the gap and translate between science and the public through maps. However, it is unclear how government and the media attract readers, reduce complexity, and make the issue of climate change tangible and less abstract for map readers. This research explored the decisions expert mapmakers made to connect with scientists and translate knowledge related to climate change to audiences through maps. Using interviews with expert mapmakers at major media organizations and government agencies, this research illustrated how design decisions were made to create climate change maps, and what aspects of these map designs made them vivid for audiences by bringing the topic of climate change to life. Finally, using content analysis this dissertation research identified the types of climate change maps that employed vivid designs that may connect best with audiences to be persuasive and understandable. Results from this dissertation research identified that mapmakers first decided on a story they wanted to tell through generating ideas with colleagues and then used “the story” as a decision-making structure which determined how they communicated with scientists to get data and distill science into meaningful information in a map design. Vivid climate change maps were those which employed visual salience, visible change, color use which aligned with cultural and emotional connotations, cartographic best practices, and novel designs. These vivid maps were often designed by elite media organizations who balanced cartographic best practices with new and novel designs to tell in-depth stories to readers. This dissertation research illustrated how cartographers can serve as translators to improve the connections between science and the people for whom science asks its questions.