Tag: Hollie Smith

Communicating Change: A Study of Current and Proposed Communication Strategies for Prompting Individual Behavior Towards Ocean Conservation

Presenter(s): Kayla Thomet

Faculty Mentor(s): Dean Mundy & Hollie Smith

Poster 32

Session: Sciences

Due to the volatile state of our oceans, I am studying the effectiveness of different environmental campaigns on individual behavior towards reducing plastic waste in the ocean. Results indicate that individuals are most likely to change their behavior based on a moderately emotional advertisement which provides specific direction on how to alter behavior. Individuals appear willing to advocate for policy change to solve the overall problem. Currently, there is a shortage in research regarding the area of oceanic environmental communication. Through surveys, focus groups, and interviews, this study will address the effectiveness of current campaign strategies used to communicate environmental issues and provide suggestions for communicators to prompt sustained behavior change towards ocean conservation. The theoretical foundations of this study are the awareness-action gap, the effects of Grunig’s Theory of Publics, and the effectiveness of broad environmental campaigns. There is a profound lack of awareness regarding the health of the ocean; nearly half the survey respondents indicated that the ocean’s health is neutral, moderately healthy, or very healthy. Preliminary results from the survey indicate greater impact of emotional advertisements on prompting desire for action. Furthermore, advertisements depicting a consumer product directly harming an animal are the most effective in generating a visceral response. With the current status of the health of the ocean, it is crucial to take action as communicators and create lasting change. The environment is at a turning point; if communicators don’t act immediately, there will be no chance to reverse the damage done to the planet.

Best Practices for Attributing Extreme Weather Events to Climate Change in Media

Presenter(s): Haley Koch

Faculty Mentor(s): Deborah Morrison & Hollie Smith

Poster 138

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Occurrences of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, forest fires, and floods are increasing in frequency and severity on a global scale, and climate scientists have proven that these events are exacerbated by the effects of anthropogenic climate change. These events are then represented variably through mass media channels, some which effectively attribute these events to climate change, and some which do not. Studies have shown that improperly attributing the cause of extreme weather events could be incredibly harmful to our environmental future, and must be done correctly in order to avoid significant further damages to our society. In order to participate in the resolution of the disconnect between extreme weather events and climate change, my thesis research has led to the development of a “Code of Best Practices for Attributing Extreme Weather Events to Climate Change,” for media producers and outlets to use to ensure that their content is effectively covering events of extreme weather, and how they relate to anthropogenic climate change. Through a content analysis of sources that have attributed events of extreme weather to climate change in a variety of ways (both effective and ineffective), I have determined criteria that guarantee the effectiveness of communicating climate change attribution. These criteria can be applied to different forms of media and communications in order for a media outlet to ensure that they are accurately and effectively attributing extreme weather events to climate change.

Lane County Publications’ Coverage of Forest Fires and Smoke in Relation to Climate Change

Presenter(s): Christa Huddleston

Faculty Mentor(s): Mark Blaine & Hollie Smith

Poster 152

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Forest fires have been all over the news in Oregon the past two years, especially during the dry summer months which have hit record-high temperatures and record-long periods without rain. Due to nearly a century of fire exclusion, wildfires continue to get larger and wildfire season continues to get longer each year. This already devastating pattern is accelerated by climate change due to climate scientists predicting hotter and drier summers in the Pacific Northwest. Yet, existing literature shows climate change continues to be a low priority for the public. The media is one of the main avenues through which the public receives information about both forest fires and climate change. I hypothesized that if this media coverage was analyzed then data would show that most coverage of forest fires is not including climate change in the conversation. My thesis project analyzed local media coverage of forest fires and smoke here in Lane County using a content analysis: keyword searching for words such as ‘climate change’ and ‘global warming’ in relevant articles. It was found that most Lane County media coverage of wildfires and smoke does not include climate change in the conversation. The purpose of demonstrating coverage/lack of coverage is to have qualitative research to help start a public discussion about the media’s role in communicating local issues related to climate change.