Talking to China About Climate Change: How Non-profit Journalism Diversifies Climate News in China

In pursuit of public service, a growing number of news non-profits are emerging worldwide to fill the gap in mainstream journalism and strengthen climate communication. Drawing on framing analysis of three non-profit news organisations – Dialogue Earth, Carbon Brief and Greenpeace – and comparing their climate coverage with Chinese mainstream journalism, this study examines how non-profit journalism with international background can contribute more diverse climate news to Chinese media landscape. While mainstream journalism largely follows the official line and highlights the country’s climate achievements, the non-profit outlets provide critical perspectives urging for stronger climate governance. Strategic framing helps their reporting adapt to China’s media environment, forming a deliberative critique that diverges from conventional watchdog journalism. While the conventional mode normally focuses on accountability and crisis, the non-profit outlets pay more attention to policy shortcomings through rational, expert-led deliberation. This underscores the need for further inquiry into how non-profit journalism can better inform the public on climate issues across contexts, and reaffirms the value of news framing as a lens for analysing nuanced forms of critical journalism.