Environmental ethics of Buddhism in regional mass media (based on the example of the Republic of Buryatia): methods of construction

Abstract

This article explores the role of mass media in enviromentalization of collective consciousness by means of Buddhist culture and philosophy. In today’s world, environmental issues are critical. Buryatia is one of the three main Buddhist regions of the Russian Federation along with Kalmykia and Tuva. Thus, religion, namely Buddhism with its ecophilic principles, may play a crucial role in overcoming ecological crisis in the republic. Mass media, as one of the most active social institutions and the leading channel of information for the citizens, also contribute to the formation of environmental awareness. The article aims to trace how mass media affects the formation of environmental awareness of the population. The subject of this article is the methods of construction of environmental awareness in the regional mass media of the Republic of Buryatia. The goal is to determine the methods of construction of environmental consciousness in the Buryat republican media for the five-year period (2017–2021). The research leans on the method of content analysis; employs the publications of the online platforms “Inform Polis Online: and “Gazeta-n1”. The research can be divided into two stages: 1) the results of content analysis of the online platform “Inform Polis Online” and “Gazeta-n1” for the period from 2017 to 2021; examination of the fundamental principles of environmental ethics of Buddhism described in the publications about one of the major Buddhist holidays – Sagaalgan.