Framing Climate Mobility: A Discourse Analysis of Spanish Newspapers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14422/mig.23558.029Keywords:
climate mobility, migration, climate change, framing theory, media, SpainAbstract
In a world increasingly affected by climatic changes, climate mobility has become a topic of growing relevance in the geopolitical context. Spain, as an external border of the European Union with historical ties to regions highly exposed to climate impacts, such as North Africa, offers a critical case study for examining these dynamics. This article applies framing theory to qualitatively analyse how Spanish media construct climate mobility and how both people and spaces are represented. Drawing on 52 articles published between 2021 and 2023 in the six most-read newspapers in Spain, four predominant frames are identified: quantitative-alarmism, securitization, humanitarianism, and vulnerability. Media discourses depict migrants as passive victims or abstract figures, while spaces are portrayed as “in crisis” or “under threat.” Only the vulnerability frame provides a more nuanced perspective by linking exposure to climate change with socio-demographic risks. Yet even here, responsibilities of the Global North remain underdeveloped.
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