Tracking climate stories on screen
Tracking how climate stories impact the TV and film industry—and how they shape audience perceptions of climate change.
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Impact
We’ve built a database that tracks trends in the social and economic impacts of climate narratives in recent scripted TV and film. The findings could prove to studios that climate storytelling is profitable, which could ultimately result in more shows and movies that influence audiences not only to think differently about climate change but also to take action.
250 Annotated sources compiled in one database
5 High-impact topics covered in the database
Challenge
Entertainment media is a powerful force for shifting public attitudes around major topics, but climate change has been avoided as studios worry about losing audiences. Executives and creators need clear evidence showing just how successful and impactful stories about the climate can be, so they feel confident green-lighting more of them.
Our plan
We built a live research database around how climate shows up in film and TV in North America and Europe. The database will track social impact, commercial performance, industry trends, and more—giving executives a clear look at the risks and rewards of getting more climate stories on screen.
Project Goals
Compile the data
We searched the public domain and academic journals to identify research, articles, and company reports related to climate storytelling.
Highlight what matters most
We analyzed data from 250 sources and pulled out trends in audience insights, industry insights, and social impact, as well as business reward and risk.
Show the industry what works
We built an innovative database that can help studios see the business benefits–and audience demand–for stories about climate change.
Approach
We distilled hundreds of assets into a searchable database, giving creators clear evidence of how climate stories in entertainment can resonate and drive impact.
Literature review
Qualitative analysis
Annotated bibliography
Database creation
“We know that stories about climate can inform the way audiences feel, understand, and act in the face of our climate reality. This living database will be a resource for those interested in trends connected to climate- and sustainability-related storytelling in the media and the social and business ramifications of those stories.”
Ksenia Korobkova, Media Researcher, USC Norman Lear Center Media Impact Project
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