Recession or rescue? An analysis of degrowth- and counter-narratives in leading British and German quality print media

Degrowth narratives are gaining traction as imaginaries for a sustainable future serving both as a vision and as a transdisciplinary research agenda. They are also increasingly discussed in leading quality media outlets where public perception is crucial for their political feasibility. Recent studies suggest negative coverage predominance, yet degrowth (de)legitimation narratives remain unidentified. This article presents a qualitative narrative analysis of 389 articles from 27 daily and weekly newspapers and political magazines in the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany across nine years (2015–2023). Green growth and degrowth are identified as overarching counter-narratives. Green growth proponents portray degrowth as a false solution using four sub-narratives: Degrowth is portrayed as shrinkage and ‘recession’, critique with ‘no alternative’, ‘renunciation’ and an authoritarian ‘regime’. These portrayals rarely reference the scholarly degrowth literature and often rely inaccurate definitions, with the ‘regime’ narrative in particular distorting academic discourse. Framing devices like metaphors are employed to discredit degrowth and its advocates, raising concerns about journalistic quality. By contrast, journalists critical of green growth depict degrowth positively through four sub-narratives: ‘democratic planning’, ‘global justice’, ‘individual sufficiency’ and ‘solidarity commons’. These accounts are more closely aligned with degrowth scholarship and employ fewer framing devices—mainly to critique (green) growth. The findings suggest science communication strategies like establishing courses on degrowth for journalists and new media platforms. Degrowth narratives could be strengthened by emphasising positive aspects for the people affected like well-being and security through universal public services, linking them to metaphors and avoiding reactive framings such as ‘shrinkage’. • How is ‘degrowth’ (de)legitimised in leading media in Germany and the UK? • Negative narratives predominate (e.g. ‘recession’, ‘regime’, ‘renunciation’) • A strong negative actor framing rises questions of journalistic ethics • Positive narratives highlight e.g. ‘democratic planning’, ‘justice’, ‘sufficiency’ • They should avoid reactive frames emphasising well-being for the people affected