Today’s The Big Picture: What’s Funny About a Climate Crisis? session at Content London

CONTENT LONDON: Broadcasters should be truthful and not neutral about climate change and sustainable productions should receive tax incentives, according to the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus, a first-of-its-kind poll asking the global content industry how it should tackle the climate crisis.

The ‘real-time’ survey, powered by an open-source platform that helps identify what a large group of people think about a divisive or complicated topic, suggests widespread agreement within the industry that we are facing a climate crisis and that the industry has a responsibility to do something about it.

It also shows many in the industry believe media owners have “a duty of care” to reflect stories of human impact on the planet and that storytelling should not just entertain but also “reflect climate challenges and the positive ways through.”

More than 145 people in the industry took part in the survey, the results of which were announced at Content London today, and cast almost 4,500 votes across 70 statements. All the statements were submitted by those who participated.

Not all participants voted across all statements, but a clear majority emerged about many of the statements submitted, including:

• 92% of 111 voters agreed “broadcasters should be truthful, not neutral on climate change.”
• 92% of 111 voters agreed “we’re in a climate crisis.”
• 96% of 108 voters agreed “we need to do something about the climate crisis.”
• 88% of 110 voters agreed “sustainable productions should be given tax incentives.”
• 84% of 113 voters agreed “media owners have a duty of care to reflect the true stories of human impact on the planet.”

Other statements that generated the highest number of votes with a majority in favour included:

• “It’s important to reflect climate challenges and the positives ways through – in the foreground and background – as well as being entertaining” (92% of 102 voters).
• “We should form partnerships with NGOs and non-profits to develop more sustainable stories” (78% of 114).
• “Commissioners think climate content is too depressing” (62% of 114).
• “Ordinary people doing extraordinary things in community for regeneration should be a genre focus” (80% of 111).
• “The casting process for event television should include voices of credible, engaging climate experts” (74% of 111).
• “We should form partnerships with sustainable brands for branded content and product placement” (74% of 110).
• “As cultural gatekeepers and storytellers, we should be telling more positive stories about a world adapting to climate through entertainment” (81% of 108).
• “We need quotas for every broadcaster and platform for climate related content” (58% of 108).

“The findings from this survey indicate consensus across the global industry on a number of important themes relating to this existential threat, not least the unambiguous view that we are in a climate crisis,” said David Jenkinson, managing director and editor-in-chief at C21Media.

David Jenkinson

“No matter the facts, the climate crisis has been politicised, so at a time when the BBC – a public service broadcaster that is so well respected across the world – is being accused of climate change bias, broadcasters should take note of the weight of support within the industry for them to be truthful, not neutral, on climate change, and moreover that media owners have a ‘duty of care’ to reflect the true stories of human impact on the planet.”

“On a practical level, the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus provides some clear, actionable ways forward. The large backing for tax incentives for sustainable productions, is a case in point.

“At the moment, there exist some important resources and certification programmes to make productions more sustainable, but currently the incentives to accelerate adoption are lacking. Tax incentives for sustainable productions could provide a powerful lever for change.”

At Content London today, panellists in the session The Big Picture: What’s Funny About a Climate Crisis? drew on the findings from the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus to discuss how it’s possible to laugh in the face of such deep existential threats.

The panel was made up of comics Desiree Burch and Jessica Fostekew, executive producer and Fudge Park creative director Phil Gilbert (Daddy Issues), award-winning comedy writer and director John Morton (W1A) and moderator Matt Nida, entertainment impact charity OKRE’s climate and comedy programme manager.

The Climate Consensus survey is delivered via Pol.is, a platform enabled by AI-powered machine-learning as a means of ‘temperature checking’ a community and driving informed decision-making. It is already used by governments, businesses and NGOs.

The Pol.is survey system identifies groups of voters who vote similarly to each other and differently from other groups. It found two distinct voting groups emerged within the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus, Opinion Group A, made up of 34 participants, and Opinion Group B, comprising 88.

It found the two groups diverge significantly on one statement in particular: “Commissioners should be incentivised to weave climate content into everything they commission.” While 69% of 76 voters in Group B agreed, 79% of 34 voters in Group A disagreed.

The survey throws up a number of areas of uncertainty, which could indicate a need for more education or more open dialogue on the topics. These include the subjects of AI and of impact production, a term used to describe content that goes beyond entertainment to create tangible real-world outcomes.

On the statement, “The industry says we need to embrace AI, but AI has really damaging consequences for the environment and is exacerbating the climate crisis,” 47% of 105 voters agreed. However, 36% indicated they were unsure by voting ‘pass,’ rising to 56% out of 30 who voted on this statement from Group A.

The statement, “Utilising the craft of impact production can help us maximise the positive impacts of our content” saw 61% of 57 voters agree while 35% passed, compared with 50% of 16 voters from Group A.

Following the survey, C21 will now consult with the industry about how best to move ahead with the findings.

Today’s The Big Picture: What’s Funny About a Climate Crisis? session at Content London

CONTENT LONDON: Broadcasters should be truthful and not neutral about climate change and sustainable productions should receive tax incentives, according to the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus, a first-of-its-kind poll asking the global content industry how it should tackle the climate crisis.

The ‘real-time’ survey, powered by an open-source platform that helps identify what a large group of people think about a divisive or complicated topic, suggests widespread agreement within the industry that we are facing a climate crisis and that the industry has a responsibility to do something about it.

It also shows many in the industry believe media owners have “a duty of care” to reflect stories of human impact on the planet and that storytelling should not just entertain but also “reflect climate challenges and the positive ways through.”

More than 145 people in the industry took part in the survey, the results of which were announced at Content London today, and cast almost 4,500 votes across 70 statements. All the statements were submitted by those who participated.

Not all participants voted across all statements, but a clear majority emerged about many of the statements submitted, including:

• 92% of 111 voters agreed “broadcasters should be truthful, not neutral on climate change.”
• 92% of 111 voters agreed “we’re in a climate crisis.”
• 96% of 108 voters agreed “we need to do something about the climate crisis.”
• 88% of 110 voters agreed “sustainable productions should be given tax incentives.”
• 84% of 113 voters agreed “media owners have a duty of care to reflect the true stories of human impact on the planet.”

Other statements that generated the highest number of votes with a majority in favour included:

• “It’s important to reflect climate challenges and the positives ways through – in the foreground and background – as well as being entertaining” (92% of 102 voters).
• “We should form partnerships with NGOs and non-profits to develop more sustainable stories” (78% of 114).
• “Commissioners think climate content is too depressing” (62% of 114).
• “Ordinary people doing extraordinary things in community for regeneration should be a genre focus” (80% of 111).
• “The casting process for event television should include voices of credible, engaging climate experts” (74% of 111).
• “We should form partnerships with sustainable brands for branded content and product placement” (74% of 110).
• “As cultural gatekeepers and storytellers, we should be telling more positive stories about a world adapting to climate through entertainment” (81% of 108).
• “We need quotas for every broadcaster and platform for climate related content” (58% of 108).

“The findings from this survey indicate consensus across the global industry on a number of important themes relating to this existential threat, not least the unambiguous view that we are in a climate crisis,” said David Jenkinson, managing director and editor-in-chief at C21Media.

David Jenkinson

“No matter the facts, the climate crisis has been politicised, so at a time when the BBC – a public service broadcaster that is so well respected across the world – is being accused of climate change bias, broadcasters should take note of the weight of support within the industry for them to be truthful, not neutral, on climate change, and moreover that media owners have a ‘duty of care’ to reflect the true stories of human impact on the planet.”

“On a practical level, the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus provides some clear, actionable ways forward. The large backing for tax incentives for sustainable productions, is a case in point.

“At the moment, there exist some important resources and certification programmes to make productions more sustainable, but currently the incentives to accelerate adoption are lacking. Tax incentives for sustainable productions could provide a powerful lever for change.”

At Content London today, panellists in the session The Big Picture: What’s Funny About a Climate Crisis? drew on the findings from the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus to discuss how it’s possible to laugh in the face of such deep existential threats.

The panel was made up of comics Desiree Burch and Jessica Fostekew, executive producer and Fudge Park creative director Phil Gilbert (Daddy Issues), award-winning comedy writer and director John Morton (W1A) and moderator Matt Nida, entertainment impact charity OKRE’s climate and comedy programme manager.

The Climate Consensus survey is delivered via Pol.is, a platform enabled by AI-powered machine-learning as a means of ‘temperature checking’ a community and driving informed decision-making. It is already used by governments, businesses and NGOs.

The Pol.is survey system identifies groups of voters who vote similarly to each other and differently from other groups. It found two distinct voting groups emerged within the C21 Big Picture Climate Consensus, Opinion Group A, made up of 34 participants, and Opinion Group B, comprising 88.

It found the two groups diverge significantly on one statement in particular: “Commissioners should be incentivised to weave climate content into everything they commission.” While 69% of 76 voters in Group B agreed, 79% of 34 voters in Group A disagreed.

The survey throws up a number of areas of uncertainty, which could indicate a need for more education or more open dialogue on the topics. These include the subjects of AI and of impact production, a term used to describe content that goes beyond entertainment to create tangible real-world outcomes.

On the statement, “The industry says we need to embrace AI, but AI has really damaging consequences for the environment and is exacerbating the climate crisis,” 47% of 105 voters agreed. However, 36% indicated they were unsure by voting ‘pass,’ rising to 56% out of 30 who voted on this statement from Group A.

The statement, “Utilising the craft of impact production can help us maximise the positive impacts of our content” saw 61% of 57 voters agree while 35% passed, compared with 50% of 16 voters from Group A.

Following the survey, C21 will now consult with the industry about how best to move ahead with the findings.