Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Iosif Botetzagias, Assistant Professor Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, Greece, iosif@aegean.gr
TIME magazine (writing about Cuyahoga river in August 1969): Anyone who falls into the Cuyahoga does not drown, he decays.
1952
YET.
There had been 13 fires over the last 100 years, and the 1969 was a minor one. So, why did it get such a cover?
Critical theory
Political economy: Medias operation is conditioned by economic interests (e.g. ownership, advertising, competition etc.) Structuralism: Its not what the media talk about that is important, but how they talk about it (the role of symbols or signs). Cultural studies: Interpreting those signs is a cultural process which depends on the communal and personal beliefs.
Project LLP nr. 10-EIP-RO BUCURES 09
Environment as news
Events are in constant and vigorous competition for space and time in the media. Environmental events are at a disadvantage since: They (mainly) have a highly scientific and technical dimension- thus are not easily comprehensible by the public. The media prefer dramatic and confrontational eventsnot slowly evolving controversies. Thus any coverage of environmental events will be sporadic. Yet, is there a pattern of coverage over time?
Project LLP nr. 10-EIP-RO BUCURES 09
Number of Articles
20 20 40 20 40 60 80
40
80
60
100
60
80
0 100
0 100
1/2002
4/2002 7/2002 10/2002 1/2003 4/2003 7/2003
Climate Change
10/2003
1/2004 4/2004 7/2004 10/2004 1/2005 4/2005 7/2005
Global Warming
Sum
10/2005
1/2006 4/2006 7/2006 10/2006 1/2007 4/2007 7/2007
10/2007
1/2008 4/2008 7/2008 10/2008
Eleftherotypia
Kathimerini
Ta Nea
Number of Articles
20 20 40 20 40 60 80
40
80
60
100
60
80
0 100
0 100
1/2002
4/2002 7/2002 10/2002 1/2003 4/2003 7/2003
Climate Change
Johannesburg Summit
10/2003
1/2004 4/2004 7/2004 10/2004 1/2005 4/2005 7/2005
Global Warming
Sum
G8 Summit, Gleneagles, UK
10/2005
1/2006 4/2006 7/2006 10/2006 1/2007 4/2007 7/2007
10/2007
1/2008 4/2008 7/2008 10/2008
Eleftherotypia
Kathimerini
Ta Nea
700
600
500
400 300 200 100
0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Ta NEA 2007 2008 Total
Project LLP nr. 10-EIP-RO BUCURES 09
Eleftherotypia
Kathimerini
Number of articles and actors involved in the Greek public debate concerning CC (2001-2008)
N of articles referring to a public debate N of unique individuals referred to in the articles affiliated with*: Organizations (of which %): Political Parties Government NGOs Research bodies Business Participatory venue Other (of which: Unions/Grassroots) Eleftherotypia 266 136 80 8.8% 25.0% 10.0% 16.3% 10.0% 5.0% 20.0% (80%) Kathimerini 110 78 43 9.3% 37.2% 9.3% 23.2% 18.6% 0% 2.3% (0%) Ta Nea 87 67 45 11.% 11.1% 17.8% 26.7% 20.0% 6.7% 6.7% (33%)
Reasoning devices
Roots: what causes the problem? (The industries greed; the capitalist system) Consequences: what will flow from different policies? (if GMOs are allowed all traditional crop varieties will become extinct) Appeal to principles: what is the moral reasoning for a certain policy? (GMO-food must carry a label cause I have the right to know what I am eating)
Project LLP nr. 10-EIP-RO BUCURES 09
of
each
package
Its Cultural resonance- how does it fit with general cultural models (e.g. is progress associated with Prometheus or Frankenstein?). Its Sponsors: those who promote it in the media (through interviews, articles etc.) YET ALSO the Medias practices: trustworthy sources, hierarchy of sources, balance and objectivity , journalists own values and agenda.
Project LLP nr. 10-EIP-RO BUCURES 09