Climate Change on Television Reaches the Engaged but Misses Distant Audiences - Data Analysis Scripts

Television remains a widely used medium for climate information worldwide, yet its role in public engagement remains underexplored. This study examines both the representation of climate change on television and audience engagement with it. We analysed 23,478 hours of programming across 20 German TV channels over 61 days in 2022, and further assessed audience engagement with climate content through a representative survey (n = 1,445). In the beginning of the multi-crisis context of autumn 2022 – including war, inflation, and energy insecurity – 2.2% of broadcast hours addressed climate topics. Climate coverage remained concentrated in news formats, reaching mostly to the climate-engaged majority, but largely invisible for climate-distant groups which prefer entertainment programs. Additionally, results reveal unequal gender representation in TV programs and a perceived overrepresentation of politicians. Taken together, these findings suggest that strengthening inclusive storytelling, diversifying representation, and format innovating may enhance the reach and inclusivity of televised climate communication.