Framing Climate Solutions: An Exploratory Quantitative Content Analysis

News warning about climate risks has not typically included information about how society can respond, but journalism about credible efforts to address climate change is becoming more prevalent. To understand how news employing this emerging approach is framed we undertook an inductive quantitative content analysis of climate solutions journalism. Cluster analysis of 244 text-based climate solutions news stories published in U.S.-based outlets resulted in three previously undescribed news frames. The most prevalent frame (88%) focuses on adaptation over mitigation with little mention of causes, while stories emblematic of the second-most prevalent frame featured responses led by people typically drawing on place-based identity and working cooperatively beyond partisanship. The least prevalent frame emphasizes mitigation and who is morally responsible. Findings contribute to framing theory as well as offer practical implications for journalists seeking to engage news audiences about this critical issue.