Climate Memo 3 – Framing: To Engage Your Audience, Speak Their “Moral Language”
TL;DR: Recent studies reveal a growing partisan divide on climate change perceptions between the major U.S. parties. Strategically framed messages that align with universal moral principles can bridge this gap, enhancing receptivity to and support for action on climate change across political lines.
In the United States, liberals and conservatives see the issue of climate change very differently. Often, communication about climate change inadvertently invokes the “moral language” of liberals, which can alienate conservatives. Research shows that making an effort to communicate about climate change in ways that invokes the moral language of conservatives is a more effective way to engage them in the issue, and does not undermine communication with liberals.
When crafting messages for an audience with conservative values, it’s beneficial to incorporate all five principles of the Moral Foundations Theory: 1) care/harm, which focuses on caring for others and preventing suffering; 2) fairness/cheating, addressing justice, reciprocity, and fairness while preventing cheating; 3) loyalty/betrayal, emphasizing loyalty to one’s group and condemning traitors; 4) authority/subversion, pertaining to respecting traditions and hierarchies; and 5) sanctity/degradation, concerning the maintenance of the purity or sacredness of valued entities.
This approach resonates with the audience by affirming their moral beliefs rather than challenging them. For instance, emphasizing themes related to the loyalty and authority foundations, such as promoting local economic development and prosperity, upholding family and community values, and honoring traditions, could counterbalance the potentially alienating effects of abstract environmental messages focused on preventing harm to nature and animals.
Environmental messages, especially those that suggest endorsing stricter environmental regulations and oversight – thus, reducing harm and ensuring fairness – might be perceived as valuing environmental concerns over economic growth, family, and tradition. In other words, messages centered solely on harm and fairness might be seen as a threat to conservatives’ moral convictions, reinforcing the idea that environmentalism aligns only with liberal values and is at odds with conservative principles (Hurst & Stern, 2020).
Consider, for example, the statement below made by President Joe Biden before he signed executive actions on tackling climate change, creating jobs, and restoring scientific integrity in 2021. His statement includes several principles of the Moral Foundations Theory (underlined), including care, fairness, and loyalty.
“This is a case where conscience and convenience cross paths, where dealing with this existential threat to the planet and increasing our economic growth and prosperity are one and the same. When I think of climate change … I think of jobs.”
However, framing is not the only factor that influences how people respond to information. The source of the message – in this case, Joe Biden – is another powerful factor to take into consideration.
Written by Loujain Kiki
Edited by Madeline Fisher
Featured image by Richard Duijnstee from Pixabay
