The coverage of the Chile Madrid COP25 Climate Summit on the news of the Spanish radio stations

Abstract

Under discussion about the severity of the climate crisis and in a turbulent global geopolitical context, Madrid hosted the Climate Summit in December 2019. This research assess the coverage of the COP25 of the four Spanish radio stations with the highest audience: Cadena SER, COPE, Onda Cero and Radio Nacional de España. For this, a content analysis of the national news programs that the four channels issued from the beginning to the end of the Summit has been carried out. The main objectives are to describe the formal aspects of the coverage, establish the prevailing themes and determine the prominence of the Summit in Spanish radio in the radio news. The investigation reveals that radio, contrary to what other studies focusing on the press, television and digital media conclude, attaches great importance to the Madrid Summit both in time and in the position on the grid of information on the forum. In addition, the study reveals a greater prominence of political issues, especially in relation to the negotiation between the participating countries, compared to issues related to the scientific and social.