Media Is Missing the Environment
Mediated messages seem to rush into our lives every minute of every day, through virtually endless choices of media channels, genres, and content. “Although, selectivity determines what media messages we attend to and focus on”. Since the up rise of the mass media, specifically that of its online news and media coverage channels, news is now more selectively curated. This change is due to the evolving and ever changing editorial cycles as well as the desire and pressure forced upon journalists to release content first, no matter the cost. News is curated differently now due to the globalisation of technology. Globalisation has accelerated the news cycle and made it more inter-connective redefining the role of a ‘journalist’. As a result there is now more competition and platforms to report on which has piled pressure onto all those involved in keeping up with and reporting on news stories. Because of these trends a pick and choose news culture has prevailed where attention is fickle. As a result of this trend an imbalance and lack of communication and reporting on environmental issues has surfaced that no longer can be ignored.
“Improved environmental coverage, if done well, will equate to a better understanding of the broad range of critical challenges we face and will help to make solutions more visible and viable. Our future requires us to know more and do better, and the news media needs to play a more constructive role in this process.”
When a Fire starts to Burn
A first-hand experience of realising and understanding how news coverage is failing to report on environmental issues happened to me only a few weeks ago. I had just finished work, arriving home to my partner who was quick to tell me I had to read the article she’d sent me. As I began to read, I quickly realised the article was about the amazon being submerged in flames, burning at a rapid pace for almost 3 weeks. My heart was quickly torn into pieces. This was due to two facts. Firstly, the amazon was on fire! And secondly, I was just reading about it now?#! The lack of media surrounding the horrific event was astonishing. The article explained that after 3 weeks of almost no media coverage the amazon fires were burning at a rapid rate of 3 football fields a minute. For those who don’t know already, Brazil has currently had 72000 fire outbreaks this year, which is an 84% increase on the same period in 2018. To put into perspective how poorly cable media channels reported on the events surrounding the amazon fires. Months prior the fires of Notre Dame Cathedral happened and during this time cable news company’s, MSNBC, CNN and Fox News where all quick to report on the problem the iconic and historic landmark was facing. It was discovered that at the time of the Notre Dame Fires, cable news channels- MSNBC, CNN and Fox News — provided nearly 15 times more coverage then they had on the amazon fires. It is clear even with this one example that “the disparity in coverage is glaring and raises serious questions about cable news priorities when it comes to covering our environment”.
An opinionated Fox News ignores climate change
“Fox News had the highest percentage of headline environmental stories with only (1.57%) among cable and network news outlets, even beating out PBS (1.43%); with CNN having the lowest (0.36%).
One of the most alarming issues, apart from the lack of coverage surrounding environmental disasters and events via cable media platforms, is the opinionated and one-sided commentary on global warming issues by leading cable company Fox News. Findings by Krosnick and MacInnis (2010), support that Fox News presents climate change in a way that conformed more closely to Republican and conservative positions than CNN did. For those who aren’t familiar with the stance and outlook Republicans and Conservatives have, their beliefs are generally based on conservatism (Anti-labor/Anti-Communism). Specifically Fox News Anchors more often than not would emphasise the uncertainty of climate change more so than CNN anchors. In recent events studies show that relative to climate change, Fox News has been associated with weaker endorsement of mainstream scientists views about global warming. Therefore it is important to obtain information on environmental events elsewhere, for instance via independent news organisations, with outlets averaging 15 times more coverage that the national average.
Opportunities for Innovation
To conclude, while there are definitely cable news companies reporting on environmental issues, the focus and amount of content surrounding important environmental issues is at times one-sided and isn’t receiving the same attention as entertainment news programs. “As media abundance advances so does the attention towards the increased availability on entertainment”. Although, it is not too late to make a change and divert the attention to where it is most needed. With the globalisation of technology, a huge shift towards social media advertising has surfaced that is seen as a great opportunity for news coverage. This platform would create a great opportunity to create environmental awareness. An example of the impact social media can have in raising environmental awareness was recently seen in Vietnam, where “the World Wildlife Fund ranked Vietnam last of 23 countries in implementing its commitments to prevent the illegal trade of elephant, rhino, and tiger products through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora”. Social media was able to provide a major improvement in gaining awareness by galvanising public opinion and applying public pressure, incentivising improved conservative behavior. This example is effective when proving an insight into the potential power of social media to influence and raise concern into environmental matters, events and concerns.
