Getting the Picture: Changing the heatwave visual discourse in the news media – June 2026

 

 

The LCRP is working in partnership with the University of Exeter and leading organisations in the world of visual media, climate communications and climate policy and science including Getty Images, the World Health Organisation and the UK Health Security Agency, on a new project which hopes to challenge the way heatwaves are portrayed in the news media.

Despite the severity and potential impacts of extreme heat events on our environment and health a heatwave often results in ‘fun in the sun’ images in the news media. Photography and videography of children splashing
in city fountains, bright umbrellas at the beach, and holiday style imagery don’t reflect the adverse impacts of extreme heat on peoples’ health, agriculture or infrastructure. This visual framing of extreme heat acts to hide vulnerable people and places from view; and excludes opportunities to imagine a more resilient future.

This project builds on interdisciplinary literatures from geography, visual politics, media and journalism, and computer science to unsettle this narrow visual discourse of extreme heat.

This project will investigate the barriers and opportunities for visually portraying heatwaves in more
equitable and representative ways, work with diverse  communities to open a more representative and equitable visual discourse of extreme heat, and test the efficacy of these new heatwave visuals to understand engagement by climate decision makers, journalists and public audiences. It will deliver resources for the media industry, including the Heatwave Collection of free to-access videography and photography, media cheat-sheets and a report. This co-produced research project aims to transform the visual discourse of extreme heat in the news media.

Our involvement in the project will focus on work package 2:

WP2 aims to uncover alternative heatwaves visuals, opening up opportunities for conversations
on living in a world increasingly exposed to extreme heat.

This work is taking place over a three year period with outputs expected in 2028. We’ll keep you posted on how the project is progressing over time.