Ecological Transition in Spain: Political Polarization Through Institutions and Media

Reinald Besalú, Arantxa Capdevila and Carlota M. Moragas-Fernández ()
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Reinald Besalú: Departament de Comunicació, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat, 138, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
Arantxa Capdevila: Departament d’Estudis de Comunicació, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
Carlota M. Moragas-Fernández: Departament d’Estudis de Comunicació, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: While most Spanish citizens recognize the urgency of climate change, opinions differ on the specific measures to mitigate it, which are grouped under the concept of ecological transition. The ecological transition policies put forward by states, parties, and political leaders have become a factor of political polarization, with the media—through their role as shapers of public discourse—playing a significant part. In this article, we examine the ecological transition from two perspectives. First, we explore the level of political polarization among Spanish society regarding how ecological transition is framed and how ecological transition measures are perceived. Second, we investigate how the media cover these measures and views to identify potential connections between their portrayal of the issue and the public’s perceptions. A two-pronged methodological approach is applied: a survey to assess citizens’ perceptions and a content analysis of four Spanish newspapers with diverse editorial leanings to evaluate the media treatment of the topic. Results show that left-wing respondents agree more with the idea that ecological transition is the solution to climate change, whereas right-wing respondents more frequently view it as a threat to current lifestyles and as a process imposed by governments. These results are also reflected in the press coverage of ecological transition. We conclude that the press emerges as an actor that reinforces the existing political polarization in society around ecological transition.

Keywords: ecological transition; climate change; polarization; news media; public perception; public opinion; survey; content analysis; Spain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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