SPCOM 479Media and Environment Communication

This course will explore the role of media in enabling and/or inhibiting communication about the environment and climate change. After offering an overview of the field of environmental communication, it will engage in an analysis of key issues regarding the role of the media in relation to the environment, such as "social license to operate," the role of alternative media practices, and the environmental impact of media systems themselves. The course will consider a range of different media genres in relation to the environment (e.g., public relations, governmental communication, news media, social media, NGO campaigns, documentaries). What are the primary objectives and strategies of different forms of environmental communication and how do these various media shape public understanding of environmental issues?