Human values and news’ impact on climate change beliefs: A comparative study on millennials in Sweden and Russia

Abstract

Despite the global problem of climate change being covered in the media, some people tend to treat the issue as a distant; therefore, less urgent. Research has emphasised the significance of the polarisation phenomenon, with some countries growing in denial. This study addresses this problem bylooking into people’s values, as these have been found crucial in determining perception on climate change. Further, drifting away from political views, the study focuses on cultural impact, in this case, media use in Sweden and Russia. We found conservation values have a positive impact on shaping beliefs in climate change in Russia, albeit negative in Sweden. News consumption had limited implications in the relationship between human values and beliefs in climate change in Sweden, none in Russia. The findings can add a unique contribution to informing the creation of public awareness campaigns in Russia and Sweden. This could also encourage further research in different countries but also on different age groups or specific gender. Finally, this research revolves around beliefs, leaving an area for studying attitudes and behaviour.