Television's Portrayal of the Environment: 1991–1995

Abstract

This paper examines data from an ongoing project which content analyzes television's messages about environmental issues. The data are weeklong samples taken yearly from prime-time network television programs sampled in the Boston, Massachusetts, and Ithaca, New York, areas. We analyze the environment as a “theme” in prime-time entertainment programming, recording its prevalence in comparison to other themes. A multiple dimensional scaling shows how the environment appears in relation to other themes on television. Also, we analyze “episodes” in television programs which have specific environmental content. Our data show that attention to environmental issues has been decreasing in our sample years 1991 to 1995.