Environmental Communication Research Articles

Popular Environmental Media in Australia: Reflections on Audience Engagement and Impact

Proliferating media content is key to public understanding and discussions about the environment and climate change. While scholarly interest in mediated environmental communication has been ample and multi-directional, the questions around media's impacts remain pressing and largely under-theorised. This paper uses an example of popular environmental media in Australia – i.e. media aimed at attracting wide audiences – to discuss how impact is perceived and pursued in the distinctive Australian context, and what can be inferred from this study about environmental media and its impact more generally. Drawing on 28 interviews with media-makers and practitioners, conducted between 2022 and 2023, we catalogue common creative/narratives strategies used to engage audiences, noting a diversity of views and approaches for creating and measuring impact. The paper contributes to theoretical debates on media impact and encourages active academic research-media industry collaborations as part of initiatives aimed at meeting the challenges of climate change.

Greenwashing Unveiled: How It Impacts Stakeholder Perception as well as Sustainability Realities

Corporate communication has advanced significantly in the last few decades in terms of consumers, content, and channel. Companies must satisfy a variety of stakeholders, who are becoming more and more interested in non-financial information, in order to be held accountable. Furthermore, the kind and extent of the information can have a big impact on the company's competitive edge, notably its reputation and reliability. Social responsibility (CSR) programs are now mandatory for businesses in order to respond to stakeholder and societal calls for action. This study's goal is to find out how consumers view the impact of perception of stakeholders on an organization's decision to implement greenwashing techniques. Our goal is to comprehend and evaluate the diverse impacts that different kinds of deceptive environmental communications have on stakeholders' opinions of corporate responsibility for the environment and greenwashing. Evaluation will also be given to stakeholder reactions to an environmental issue.Different degrees of a greenwashing have a dramatically different impact on the opinions of stakeholders of corporate responsibility for the environment and their reactions.

Game Over for Climate Change? Communicating and Visualising Global Warming in Digital Games

Digital games are increasingly used as innovative tools for climate change communication. Our study uses the example of Eco to analyse, with the help of a validated set of criteria, how commercial games communicate climate change and the science behind it, which options for action are suggested to the player and how the interplay of the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic) is presented in the game. The paper’s conclusions underline the potential for commercial, multiplayer survival games like Eco to act as educational tools for communicating complex environmental issues, bridging diverse player demographics, and fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and solutions in addressing climate change and ecological sustainability. Our findings help test and advance existing concepts in environmental communication studies and sustainability studies.

Impending Challenges of Climate Change Edification for Sustainability in Pakistan

It can be difficult to spread knowledge and communicate about climate change; concepts relating to climate change are frequently misunderstood, according to researchers. Some people don't think that they will be affected by climate change in their own lives. Other issues could be people's inability to recognize subtle or the fact that there have been slow environmental changes and excessive consumption empowers and honors people, their weak connection to nature, and their propensity to act impulsively also solve environmental issues right away. The purpose of this study was to offer some research-based strategies for educating the public about climate change while providing concrete examples of the impacts of climate change on a local level and illustrative information, people can be persuaded that they still have an impact by environmental communication that are effectively designed on the phenomenon's scope and can connect mitigation efforts to people's positive desires or aspirations. Upcoming awareness, approaches of socio-constructivism, experiential learning, and community of change are some strategies that, when used in conjunction with one another in mitigation education, can correct learners' misconceptions and motivate them to take action. With the help of citizens and scientists, adaptation education could focus on a particular issue that could become more severe due to climate change. After analyzing the issue, suggestions for solutions could then be made and put into action and plan for the future sustainably.

Behind the Concept of 'Zero Carbon Emissions' in Indonesia: A Symbolic Construction Analysis

As one of the world's largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, Indonesia has set a target for zero carbon emissions by 2060. However, these targets and the derived efforts have not been accompanied by adequate understanding among the Indonesian populace. This research aims to comprehend and analyze the concept of zero carbon emissions in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative approach with content analysis methodology, the study discovered that one of the causes for this lack of understanding is the ineffective messaging concerning 'zero carbon emissions' in Indonesia. The symbolic constructs created do not align with the intended messages, in line with the recommendations for effective environmental communication concepts, encompassing aspects such as message types, functions, word choices, genres, relevance, and consistency. This research implies an enhancement in public awareness regarding the concept of zero carbon emissions in Indonesia. The outcomes of this study can also provide insights to the government and environmental organizations to formulate more effective policies in communicating the message of 'zero carbon emissions.' By implementing these recommendations, environmental communication regarding the concept of zero carbon emissions in Indonesia can become more effective, motivating individuals to actively participate in efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Perencanaan Komunikasi Lingkungan Dalam Penanggulangan Abrasi di Kecamatan Bantan Kabupaten Bengkalis

The aim of this research is to analyze how environmental communication works in preventing abrasion in the coastal area of ??Bantan sub-district, Bengkalis Regency. Abrasion caused damage to at least 40% of Indonesia's 81,000 km of coast. Most of the soil types on Bengkalis Island are organosol soils, namely soil types that contain a lot of organic matter. The beach on Bengkalis Island is a beach that is very prone to abrasion, because it is directly facing the open ocean. This research uses a qualitative descriptive research type. The research was conducted in Bantan District, Bengkalis Regency, Riau Province. In this research the technique used was a purposive technique. Data collection methods use observation, interviews and documentation methods. In this research, researchers used Huberman and Miles' interactive model in analyzing research data. The results of this research show that the government has carried out environmental communication planning in 3 stages, namely situation analysis and problem identification, analysis of participants involved, and development of communication strategies.

Deep Sustainability as Care: A Nondual Approach to Environmental Communication

ABSTRACT This essay suggests the concept of “deep sustainability” as a philosophical orientation for environmental communication scholars to address not only the empirical but also the ethical and ontological questions associated with sustainability. Drawing on the thoughts of deep ecology and founded in a nondual ontology with origins in perennial wisdom, it argues that in order to create a counterculture to the uncaring neoliberal order, there is a need to substantially increase awareness of the devastating implications of the dualistic discourse inherent to this order. What is required is a new and radically different worldview of “interbeing,” rooted in the lived experience of the interconnectedness – oneness – of all life. Extending research in the study of sustainability discourse, this essay contends that it is only when our identity in-group becomes all-inclusive, that is, when duality dissolves, that caring for all beings, be they humans, trees, animals, or other lifeforms, comes effortlessly and with deep – lasting – sustainability as the natural result.

Communicating environment protection from plastic waste via VR: Effects of realism and spatial presence on risk perception

This study tested the utility of virtual reality technologies in building public awareness of an environmental issue—the growing pollution of plastic waste in oceans. We conducted an experiment to test whether viewing of VR video would produce two anticipated immersive experiences (e.g., perceived realism and spatial presence) in severely polluted oceans, and to further examine their effects on participants’ pro-environmental attitudes with regards to reducing plastic waste. Results showed that VR viewing led to higher perceived realism and spatial presence in comparisons with 2D video and audio-only conditions; perceived realism contributed significantly to pro-environmental attitude, whereas spatial presence did not. The higher the perceived realism, the stronger the pro-environmental attitude. Implications of the findings for using VR technologies for effective environmental communication are discussed.

The effectiveness of 360° videos for environmental communication. Exploring the impact of different types of storytelling

Over the past years, virtual reality (VR) has found applicability in several fields, including environmental communication. Previous research stressed that immersive media reception leads to feelings of spatial presence that result in attitudinal and behavioral changes. Given that peer recommendations enjoy credibility and play a relevant role in raising awareness on a topic, our study focuses on the users' intention to recommend the video as the outcome. Hence, we tested the mediation role of spatial presence in the relationship between media modality (desktop versus head-mounted-display media reception) as an independent variable and the intention to recommend the video as a dependent variable. Given that little is known about how storytelling elements that enhance interactivity during the immersive media reception contribute to affective and behavioral outcomes, we conducted two between-subjects experiments. We tested two 360° nature footage spherically filmed documentaries from National Geographic 360° with different storytelling elements. In our first study (N = 134), we used a video with limited storytelling elements as stimulus material, and in the second study (N = 140), we used a video with more storytelling elements. In both studies, we found evidence that viewing 360° videos with head-mounted displays elicits spatial presence, leading to higher intentions to recommend the video.

Green Film Production for All

As an emerging field of study, Environmental Media Studies explores the connections between the environment, culture, and media, examining the ways in which media representations shape our understanding of and attitudes towards the environment and the natural world (Starosielski and Walker 2016, Shriver-Rice and Vaughan 2019). However, there are currently two significant omissions from Environmental Media Studies. The first pertains to language accessibility, as information needs to be translated and disseminated across various languages and cultures. The second is the availability of media content to all audiences, including those who have difficulties accessing the visual or audio channels. Here, Media Accessibility, as a research discipline, can provide insights that can expand the scope of Environmental Media Studies to include issues of accessibility.This article aims to establish connections between the fields of Media Accessibility and Environmental Media Studies by examining how these two fields complement each other in terms of theoretical and practical insights. A case where both fields can jointly address issues related to accessibility and sustainability is by using subtitles as a metric to gauge a film’s level of engagement with climate change. In this article, we propose the use of subtitles as an additional indicator in the Carbon Calculator used by the film industry. Furthermore, we suggest developing the subfield of Green Media Accessibility to investigate resource use, social equity, and environmental communication in the wider media sphere.

Communication, socialization, and ITC. The psychosocial construction of sustainability.

Over the past two decades, the facets related to environmental crises (in the plural) have grown increasingly intricate. What began as environmentalists' apprehension over nature degradation and the encouragement of citizen-driven initiatives has evolved. The current shift in emphasis and prevailing message strives to foster a culture where citizens refrain from independent initiatives. Instead, the directive is to heed the guidance of the knowledgeable (scientists, politicians, corporations, interest groups, etc.), as substantiated by our investigative findings, which align, in part, with existing literature. Conversely, our exploration into environmental communication, notably the insights gleaned from longitudinal research concerning pro-environmental knowledge, attitudes, and actions, reveals a decline in citizens' effective inclinations toward embracing pro-environmental behaviors. Meanwhile, the escalation of the climate crisis is fueling heightened levels of echo-anxiety and solastalgia. This trajectory is closely intertwined with a growing global disillusionment within society - not just regarding the future - instilling a sense of disillusionment concerning pro-environmental messages and slogans disseminated by governing bodies and corporations. This has led to a state resembling learned helplessness, as articulated by Seligman, or what we prefer to term "induced" helplessness, rather than fostering conditions conducive to empowerment. This article comprehensively examines various reports and our inquiries, revealing how communication management and its constituents lie at the heart of forging novel narratives, fresh cognitive dissonances, and emerging social representations. Notably emphasized is the pivotal role played by information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly through dissemination on widely-used social networks. Since the 2010s, these platforms have assumed a paramount role in shaping socialization processes, surpassing educational institutions and conventional mass media.

The role of communication in sustainable development of the territory (case of the Baikal natural territory)

Modern society is experiencing a transformation of the existing management system. The industrial growth model has been replaced by the concept of sustainable development. Its strategic goal is to achieve a balance between economics, environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Thus, the very nature of sustainability involves communication and interaction. The objective of this study is to analyze the sustainable development of the Baikal natural territory and the role of communications in this process. In the work, the author turned to Russian and foreign research on issues of sustainable development and its communicative component. In the practical part, the author assesses social, economic and environmental sustainability, proposes types of sustainable development strategies based on the communication component. The results of the analysis show the lack of sustainability of the development of the Baikal natural territory, which contributes to the emergence of heated discussions regarding the future. Its participants are various subjects. Their goals, level of knowledge and power resources are different, which affects their readiness for structural changes and does not exclude a conflict of values between the participants. An assessment of the measures taken allows to identify several types of sustainable development management strategies: regulatory, programmatic, research, coordination, reflexive, communicative and managerial. The author believes that, with account to its high ambivalence, strategic environmental communications contribute to achieving sustainability.

“My goal is to make sustainability mainstream”: emerging visual narratives on the environmental crisis on Instagram

IntroductionIn the face of the current climate crisis, environmental communication can contribute to providing new frames of understanding and promoting social change and positive citizen action. Through social media, on platforms like Instagram, concerned citizens embrace environmental communication activism ultimately reshaping the narratives regarding the climate crisis. These individuals, who we identify as both activists and environmental influencers, are challenging the established media narratives with their posts and stories, thus offering alternative narratives. Accordingly, this paper aims to elaborate an incipient characterization of a communicative agenda that includes the emerging elements of these visual narratives in social media as potentially able to engage citizens to take action in their ordinary lives.MethodsOur research draws on a qualitative methodological approach, based on: (1) a digital ethnography carried out on 60 Instagram accounts devoted to the dissemination of environmental concerns and contents, (2) a visual narrative analysis of 281 selected posts of the previous accounts, and (3) 14 in-depth interviews conducted with digital activists.ResultsWe have identified the main traits of these emerging visual narratives: the use of positive visuals and content; first-person accounts highlighting the small actions and achievements (propositive narratives) that can be carried out in our daily lives; and/or the use of memes, humor, and other elements of popular culture to make the environmental cause mainstream.DiscussionThe study underscores a notable divergence between established environmental narratives and those curated by eco-influencers on social media. These influencers strategically leverage emotionally resonant, positive visual narratives, departing from fear-inducing content. They emphasize individual actions and solutions rather than collective interventions, personalizing the climate crisis. Additionally, their narratives engage in a nuanced dialogue with nature and integrate popular culture, humor, and memes to effectively reach diverse audiences. This shift reflects a broader cultural change in communication strategies, signaling a novel approach to mobilize audiences toward environmental engagement.

Environmental communication based on tourism management for mitigation of abrasion disasters

Indonesia has thousands of islands. However, many islands are threatened with sinking due to rising sea levels and abrasion. This research aims to explain environmental communication based on tourism management to mitigate abrasion on Bengkalis Island. The research method used was a qualitative approach with case studies. The results show that the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment together with other ministries, regional governments and experts collaborated to communicate to overcome the abrasion problem on Bengkalis Island. To mitigate abrasion, the government is building breakwaters, rehabilitating mangroves, and creating communication programs. The government’s environmental communications involve the NGO Malay Youth Association that Cares for the Environment (IPMPL) to deal with abrasion, as was done at Raja Kecik Beach. This community-based tourism was built as a means of government communication to campaign for the protection of the coast of Bengkalis Island. The development of marine tourism that is integrated with the prevention of environmental damage not only contributes to the economy and community welfare but also contributes to environmental sustainability. Communication based on tourism management has not been managed well. Therefore, the government must involve other stakeholders for sustainable development in the context of mitigating abrasion disasters.

Environmental communication through visual imagery: SEAHIVE®, a green-gray installation at Wahoo Bay, Pompano Beach, Florida, as an educational tool

Environmental communication through visual imagery: SEAHIVE^®, a green-gray installation at Wahoo Bay, Pompano Beach, Florida, as an educational tool

Communicating ecological awareness through hiking Mount Argopuro

The primary objective of this research paper is to establish a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in communicating ecological awareness through hiking Mount Argopuro. This research benefits from employing a qualitative methodology, specifically utilizing a single instrumental case study. The data collection process involves the utilization of primary data obtained from 10 local hikers who serve as key informants. The collection of main data is accomplished through conducting in-depth interviews, while secondary data is obtained through a comprehensive review of relevant literature. The results indicate that the communicating ecological awareness has been achieved by participation in hiking activities, leading to the development of ecologically responsible behaviors such as the protection of natural resources, proper disposal of personal waste, and the adoption of minimalist lifestyles. It has resulted in three distinct categories of outcomes: the establishment of an emotional connection with nature, the attainment of social acceptance within a group setting, and the manifestation of actions aligned with one's personal philosophy toward the preservation and reverence of the natural environment. Drawing upon the environmental communication model, hiking Mount Argopuro presents an opportunity for improving society's capacity to interpret and respond to environmental signals that hold significance for the welfare of both human societies and natural ecosystems.

On Care, Opposition, and River World Dynamics: The Nu River Anti-dam Campaign (2003−2016) in China

ABSTRACT Crisis and care have been paired as complementary terms. The dialectical relationship invests itself within and across planetary biomes that struggle to thrive. China is a land of ancient heritage and abundant rivers, as well as a drive to modernize through hydropower and electricity. This essay focuses on the important case of the Nu River controversy to add to the corpus of care and crisis discourse in environmental communication. This example requires a move outside the over-determination of spaces that involve episodes of immediate stories of protracted engagement. In a study of how Chinese ENGOs and environmentalists fought hard in a 13-year-long battle to save China’s last natural river, I illustrate China’s ways of working through assertions of crisis, opposition to care, and an outcome opened by new care strategies for creating consensus.

Environmental Communication as a Mediator in the Relationship between Environmental Concern and Attitude Towards Green Services in a Sequential Mediation Model: Evidences from Restaurant Industry

Tourism is a major economic activity of a nation but also contributes to about 5% of global emissions. Hospitality industry, a major arm of tourism industry, has initiated several measures for green sustainable practices. This research aims to understand the linkages between an altruistic mindset, environmental concern, environmental communication, green service attitude, and behavioural intentions through a sequential moderation model in the restaurant industry.
 A literature review was done to understand the theoretical construct of the proposed model and extant research for last 30 years to develop the consumer behaviour model. A modified model of Theory of Planned Behaviour was chosen as the base theory and through a review of the extant literature, a hypothetical model was created. A covariance-based structural equation model (CB SEM) was created to test the strength of relationships across the variables. The findings indicate that consumer environmental concern do not directly lead to positive attitude towards green services until it is mediated by environmental communication. This finding will help the green restaurants to adequately design suitable communication strategies to increase consumer awareness, positive attitudes and pro-environmental behavioural intentions.

Tides, Touch, and Care in Collaborative Fieldwork

ABSTRACT This essay describes the influence of tides and touch on collaborative fieldwork as a practice of care. I draw from collaborations with clamming communities and connect a history of fieldwork with longstanding commitments within environmental communication to use rhetorical fieldwork as a means of witnessing crises and practicing care. This collaborative fieldwork was also shaped by connecting with Édouard Glissant’s critique of knowledge and his poetics of relation as alternative praxis for making knowledge through errant, tidal movements, and touch. I describe how these influences on fieldwork created the context for an evolving digital media effort that has figured how we stay in touch and practice listening to partners and with tides through time.

When Corporations Care: A Reassessment of the Debunking Paradigm in Environmental Communication

ABSTRACT When corporations, particularly those in the fossil fuel industry, profess to care about their audience, how should we analyze and evaluate this care? The common strategy by scholars and journalists is to debunk, or expose, fake or inauthentic messaging. In this essay, I argue that debunking prevents us from articulating the coordinates of care in environmental communication. I propose the adoption of a different critical stance toward corporate “green” communication, and offer some resources for achieving the objective of situating environmental communication as a care discipline.