Is climbing a bridge getting journalists to focus on climate change?
Jia Marguerite Schofer, a journalism student at Concordia, revisit the climate action which shut down a bridge in Montreal last fall.
[Pour lire ce billet en français, c’est ici]
Hello folks!
I am looking forward to the following months: We have many original stories to share with you. Our journalism students are doing amazing work exploring the ties between the climate, the environment and the media. Today, Jia explores how disruptive actions are used to draw media attention. Does it work?
Right after the story, you will find our usual list of stories we liked in the past month. We kept it short to avoid contributing to your informational fatigue ;-)
Amélie
Is climbing a bridge getting journalists to focus on climate change?
For activists, “When subtle actions fail to make headlines, more dramatic tactics become necessary.”
By Jia Marguerite Schofer
Last Generation Canada stands by their disruptive action to shut down traffic on Montreal’s Jacques-Cartier Bridge for several hours on Oct. 22 of last fall. Even if media headlines focused mainly on the disruption, the climbers’ arrest, and the discontent of Quebec’s Public Security Minister. Antigone Collective was also involved in the action.
“I think the media is always going to focus on what’s the most sensational,” said Laura Sullivan, a spokesperson for Last Generation in an interview with Carbon Paper. “But it’s about creating the conversation and forcing the public to pick a side.”
That day, Olivier Huard and Jacob Pirro climbed onto the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, urging Canada to implement a National Emergency Management Agency and to phase out fossil fuels by 2030, among other demands. They were arrested and charged with one count of mischief by preventing people from using the bridge and one of resisting their arrest, and later released. Another colleague, Michèle Lavoie, was also charged with mischief and released.
For activists, civil disobedience and intentional disruptions of daily life aim to break through fleeting headlines and force the public to confront the causes they brought forth.
Media plays an essential role as an intermediary in achieving substantial visibility and results from a demonstration. “It’s about the space it takes up in the public arena,” explained Myriam Thériault, co-director Gestion et partenariats of the collective Mères au Front.
A reaction to proves your point
Kregg Hetherington, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Concordia University, said that public outrage often reveals misplaced priorities.
“Having people say that it’s much more important for them to drive than to pay attention to climate change is actually part of the reaction you want from these protests,” he said.
Activists use dramatic actions to draw attention to urgent issues, as media coverage peaks during protests or court proceedings.
“We’re trying to make it so the people in Montreal and in Canada know who Last Generation is. It’s not really that important if there’s a lot of negative backlash,” Sullivan said, explaining how the ultimate goal is not universal approval but mobilizing support for long-term change.
There was a rally in front of the court house following the arrests in October. “Just seeing how many people are here today shows that a lot of people are in support of Olivier and Jacob,” said protester Tamara Ghandour.
A catalyst for growth
Sullivan explains how keeping the campaign forward and intensifying fundraising to achieve overarching goals is essential. “It’s really these moments that provide a catalyst for growth in a social move ahead,” Sullivan said.
Hetherington adds that disruptions also serve as reminders of ongoing climate issues.
“I think a certain amount of disruption is necessary, just because of the way our public discourse tends to fall into comfortable patterns,” he said. “It makes it harder to remain complacent, and it’s harder to forget that not only are these environmental issues ongoing and worsening.”
However, reliance on the media also highlights limitations, such as the struggle to sustain attention beyond the immediate event. Media selectivity often overlooks more minor, less dramatic actions. For example, Sullivan explains how a demonstration occurred at the Valero oil terminal in eastern Montreal, and few outlets covered it.
“When subtle actions fail to make headlines, more dramatic tactics become necessary,” she said.
Myriam Thériault agrees that grabbing the media’s attention becomes a primary objective, because that’s how “we make sure that people know the most important things.”
She emphasized the amount of time spent imagining “creative, innovative and disruptive” actions to get media attention.
At the same time, climate activists wished the very real consequences of climate change would get the attention it deserves. “A billion dollars in damage from three hours of flooding this summer,” Sullivan said, citing the damages from recent floods in Toronto. “That’s the true disruption we should be talking about.”
Our favourite this month
Unpointcinq launched a platform aimed at the 18-35, garanted to be free of sources of ecoanxiety: https://faitque.ca/ . Le Devoir interviewed them.
CTV explains how you can improve climate models with 19th century letters.
The Narwhal interviewed International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen on Canada’s role in the global fight against climate change.
Our collaborator and colleague Florent Michelot published an op-ed to call for climate action at the federal level.
The National Observer tells us about three important lessons learned from the L.A. fires.
The Toronto Star explores the impacts of Trump’s climate decisions on us.
We’re not equal in the face of climate action. Activist Zain Haq could be deported after being arrested in protests in 2021 and 2022. CBC has the story.
The Climate and the Media in Canada newsletter is brought to you by Concordia Journalism associate professor Amélie Daoust-Boisvert and her team. It’s made possible because of support from the Centre for Journalism Experimentation (JEX). Questions, feedback? Reach out at cmrconcordia@gmail.com
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This month, the newsletter is signed by Jia Marguerite Schofer, Claudia Beaudoin and Amélie Daoust-Boisvert. Brianna Losinger-Ross coordinated the publication. Editor-in-chief and editor is Amélie Daoust-Boisvert.