Popularizing the environment in modern media
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01-01
- URL:
- https://doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2019.1569449
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois
- Subject Term:
- audience attitudes, conservation, education, environment, environmental communication, films, television, digital, environment education, entertainment, environmental issues
- Notes:
- 40 pages., via online journal., The present essay comparatively explores and reflects on popularizing the environment in a changing media ecology wherein content is no longer exclusive to traditional television viewing or distributed for cinematic release. Specifically, the aim of this essay is to illustrate how screened presentations such as film, television, and recently digital media, promote environmentalist ideals in the hopes that if audiences are entertained, then perhaps these narratives can subtly influence thinking and behavior. This review also draws from research on mediating the environment in television and film studies as well as scholarly literature on entertainment-education. The implications of this essay indicate that whether real or fictional, eco-friendly content is growing in popular media and no longer the backdrop to the story being told. As this essay shows, media professionals have started embracing entertaining content infused with content of value so that audiences can “see” why the environment is important.
