James Painter

James Painter is a Researcher at the Reuters Institute and a Senior Teaching Associate at the University of Oxford’s School of Geography. He also serves as a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics. His work focuses on climate change communication across legacy, digital-born, and social media, emphasizing themes like climate denialism, extreme weather reporting, and biodiversity loss. He teaches climate change modules and supervises graduate students, while consulting for organizations like the IPCC and UNDP. Painter’s research spans media coverage of IPCC reports, animal agriculture’s climate impact, and the portrayal of Net Zero policies. His extensive publications include books like Summoned by Science and Climate Change in the Media, alongside peer-reviewed articles on climate communication dynamics.

Research Interests:

• Climate denialism and obstructionism
• Extreme weather event attribution
• Media framing of climate scenarios
• Animal agriculture and dietary transitions
• Climate journalism innovation

Painter’s articles analyze global media responses to climate science, emphasizing how reporting shapes public and policy understandings. His recent work highlights discrepancies between mainstream and social media discourses post-COP26 and explores fossil fuel-funded think tanks’ media influence. He frequently advises policymakers and speaks at international conferences, contributing to parliamentary evidence sessions. His career bridges journalism and academia, with prior roles at the BBC and as a Latin America correspondent.