We live in a media-driven world. Information is exchanged, opinions are formed and economies are driven by online and physical media in all its guises. The democratization of knowledge is something to be celebrated but the potential for media to be manipulated, to misinform and to disrupt has also become clear, particularly for politics.
We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis and conservation is being thrust to the fore as we seek solutions. Information on conservation in general, and on specific topics, species or projects, is often disseminated to the public through media. Campaigning, lobbying, fund-raising, celebrity endorsement, charismatic species and regions, welfare issues, human and animal rights, and divergent priorities for different interested parties all contribute to making conservation communication exceptionally challenging and the relationship with media complex and poorly understood.
Whether in a print newspaper, an online news site, a magazine, a documentary, a movie, or on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, clear accurate communication of conservation goals, priorities, successes and failures is essential. It follows that developing an understanding of the relationship between conservation and the media, and how that relationship affects conservation for both good and bad, is crucial. We already have some theoretical and discursive understanding of this relationship, and studies that seek to quantify aspects of the media handling of conservation stories, including social media representation. There remains a need for further empirical studies that quantify the media depiction of conservation, including topics ranging from conservation in the round, conservation of specific species, taxonomic biases, topics of contested conservation, social media amplification, and the role that celebrities play, as well as studies that seek to characterize and quantify the effects that such depictions have on real-world conservation efforts. There is also a need for work that further contextualizes the conservation-media relationship and scans the horizon for potential new issues, especially with the advent of different social media channels and a growing awareness of the dangers of misinformation.
This Research Topic focusses on characterizing the role played by the media in modern conservation, both reflecting and having the power to shape conservation attitudes. We welcome submissions in any relevant area and any kind of manuscript ranging from full research papers to data reports, perspectives and policy briefs (see article types). We are interested in the full range of methodologies including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. We would welcome both analyses of how conservation issues are reported in the media, and studies of how media reporting of certain issues might feedback to behavior and ultimately conservation outcomes.
We live in a media-driven world. Information is exchanged, opinions are formed and economies are driven by online and physical media in all its guises. The democratization of knowledge is something to be celebrated but the potential for media to be manipulated, to misinform and to disrupt has also become clear, particularly for politics.
We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis and conservation is being thrust to the fore as we seek solutions. Information on conservation in general, and on specific topics, species or projects, is often disseminated to the public through media. Campaigning, lobbying, fund-raising, celebrity endorsement, charismatic species and regions, welfare issues, human and animal rights, and divergent priorities for different interested parties all contribute to making conservation communication exceptionally challenging and the relationship with media complex and poorly understood.
Whether in a print newspaper, an online news site, a magazine, a documentary, a movie, or on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, clear accurate communication of conservation goals, priorities, successes and failures is essential. It follows that developing an understanding of the relationship between conservation and the media, and how that relationship affects conservation for both good and bad, is crucial. We already have some theoretical and discursive understanding of this relationship, and studies that seek to quantify aspects of the media handling of conservation stories, including social media representation. There remains a need for further empirical studies that quantify the media depiction of conservation, including topics ranging from conservation in the round, conservation of specific species, taxonomic biases, topics of contested conservation, social media amplification, and the role that celebrities play, as well as studies that seek to characterize and quantify the effects that such depictions have on real-world conservation efforts. There is also a need for work that further contextualizes the conservation-media relationship and scans the horizon for potential new issues, especially with the advent of different social media channels and a growing awareness of the dangers of misinformation.
This Research Topic focusses on characterizing the role played by the media in modern conservation, both reflecting and having the power to shape conservation attitudes. We welcome submissions in any relevant area and any kind of manuscript ranging from full research papers to data reports, perspectives and policy briefs (see article types). We are interested in the full range of methodologies including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. We would welcome both analyses of how conservation issues are reported in the media, and studies of how media reporting of certain issues might feedback to behavior and ultimately conservation outcomes.
