CLIMATE CHANGE IN MEDIA DISCOURSE:ANALYZING GRETA THUNBERG'S SPEECH

Abstract

Caused by industrialization, urbanization, transportation, deforestation, and coal burning at a massive level, climate change is one of the alarming issues today , resulting in over production of heat trapping gases like methane, carbon dioxide, etc., and hence rising the temperature of earth above normal range. Natural disasters like floods, cloud bursts, soil erosion, etc., are the consequence of climate change, increasing every year. For examining the representation of this issue in mainstream media discourse, a critical discourse analysis of Greta Thunberg's speech has been done in the current study, by applying Fairclough's 3D model of critical discourse analysis. Moreover, exploration of the interplay between language, power, and ideology i.e., the role of language in shaping, challenging, or creating the ideology and power dynamics, is the main purpose of the research. The findings of current study affirm Fairclough's idea that language shapes and is shaped by the social structures, recreating, reshaping, or challenging the social or political ideology.