1st Edition

Environmentalism and the Mass Media The North/South Divide

    348 Pages
    by Routledge

    352 Pages
    by Routledge

    The mass media in different countries reflects dominant concerns of contemporary societies. Ideas of `environmentalism' are often broad and imprecise, holding neither meaning nor currency.
    Environmentalism and Mass Media sheds new light on the diverse ideas of `environmentalism', the way environmental ideas circulate, and public reaction to environmental concerns conveyed by the media. Drawing on unique interviews with journalists, media pictures, and public opinion surveys in both UK and India, the authors outline the differing cultural, religious and political contexts against which `world views' form present a fascinating picture between North and South.
    Mass media and communication technology is in danger of locking Northern countries into a ghetto of environmental self-deception, thereby perpetuating poverty in the South. The South's goal remains the attainment of development; the North sees `environmental' problems occuring `elsewhere' - in Eastern Europe and developing countries. Whether or not `environmentalism' becomes a universal cause depends on how and to what extent such sharply contrasting world views can converge.

    1. The Cultural Context 2. The Environmental Context 3. The View from the Newsroom of the North 4. The View from the Newsrooms of India 5. The Environmental Messages through the Media 6. Decoding the Image in the UK and India 7. Public Understanding in India and the UK 8. Conclusions: Which Worlds are Talking?

    Biography

    Graham Chapman is Professor of Geography, lancaster University; Keval Kumar is a Reader in the Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Poona, India; Caroline Fraser is an Independent Media Consultant and Broadcast News Editor, Lyons, France; Ivor Gaber is Professor of Communications, Goldsmith College, London.

    'By far the most challenging book in this collection, and espouses a kind of buccaneering frontier environmentalism.' - New Scientist, 1997