Powerless SA

Media coverage on energy

Pretoria, 13 December 2013: Despite South Africa’s commitment to climate change and green initiatives such as the hosting of the WINDaba in 2013 and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), research on media coverage relating to energy conservation and renewable energy seems to convey a message of disinterest from the public and private sphere.

Research shows that energy issues are losing volume of coverage, which raises the question whether this could be as a result of the media losing interest on the matter or government simply not dedicating enough time to promote sustainability, and therefore failing to enforce this responsibility on industries through corporate social responsibility.

In the opinion of Ludene Brown, a researcher at Media Tenor South Africa, “It seems that as if government has shown a disinterest on renewable energy and conservation, which is expected to create a ripple effect for the private sector, who are also emulating this attitude. Therefore should government increase its coverage on energy initiaves and encourage public private partnerships this could increase private sector’s drive and therefore raise media awareness on the matter. ”

These results are based on an analysis of 171 355 statements in South Africa print and on TV programmes from 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013. For 20 years, Media Tenor’s mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse and newsworthy reporting by bringing together the diverse parties who both impact and are affected by the news. Media Tenor’s global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to newsmakers and news audiences.

For additional information, or to schedule an interview with Media Tenor, please contact Ludene Brown, +27 12 369 7760 or +27 82 213 9481, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.