"The dissertation investigates journalistic news narrations. It aims at assessing their deliberative qualities by applying a quantitative instrument for a content analysis of newspapers that focuses comparatively on climate change coverage in Brazil, Germany, and the United States . Results reveal t
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hat there is no general relationship between narrativity and the deliberative quality. There is no indication that narrative news writing is either good or bad in deliberative terms; it is rather context dependent. The results show that the newspaper coverage of all three countries differs in the use of narrative elements, the application of different story types, and in their general deliberative quality. While the Brazilian coverage generally has a high degree of narrativity and mainly uses story types that emphasize the urgency of climate change, it has a rather low deliberative quality. The opposite is the case for the US, which has a lower degree of narrativity, mainly using unexcited story types, and provides a higher deliberative quality. In both cases, narrative writing compared to non-narrative writing accounts for higher or lower deliberative quality only on some dimensions, but no consistent pattern was found. The picture is more diverse in Germany, with a less unambiguous use of narratives and story types, and a mixed deliberative quality. However, the relationship between higher narrativity and deliberative quality is most salient in this case." (Abstract)
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"The main objective of this research project was to develop a baseline around quantity and quality information on environment and natural resources in Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in order to inform Internews’ Central Asia project, specifically capacity buil
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ding and networking activities, as well as help assess outcomes achievement and impact contribution."
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"Hay muchas razones diferentes por las cuales nos hacemos periodistas ambientales, pero nuestra misión es muy similar: contar historias que ayuden a las personas a entender mejor cómo es que los seres humanos nos relacionamos con el mundo natural que nos rodea, la forma en que este afecta nuestras
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vidas y el impacto que tenemos en él. Como periodistas ambientales, tenemos la oportunidad de plantear temas que otras personas no tienen en cuenta, o preguntar sobre prácticas que son muy buenas (y pueden servir de ejemplo) o muy malas (y deben ser cambiadas). Podemos abogar por justicia cuando los derechos de las personas se ven transgredidos o amenazados, y podemos educar a la gente para que puedan convertirse en sus propios mejores defensores. A medida que aumenta la conciencia pública sobre cuestiones medioambientales —desde el uso de pesticidas, pasando por el cambio climático, hasta el deslizamiento de relaves mineros, por ejemplo—, también lo hace la necesidad de que haya periodistas que puedan investigar y explicar las causas, consecuencias y posibles soluciones. Si bien el periodismo ambiental es una especialidad, esta no existe de forma aislada. Así, si bien te ayuda el conocer un poco sobre la ciencia medioambiental, probablemente también te encontrarás abordando temas de política, economía, salud, aspectos sociales y puntos de vista culturales: cómo es que el mercurio en los peces afecta a la salud humana, por ejemplo, o los datos económicos de cómo el oro proveniente de la minería ilegal en la Amazonía termina en los mercados internacionales, o cómo la construcción de una hidroeléctrica afecta a las tradiciones culturales de las comunidades indígenas aledañas, y puede estar relacionada con la corrupción." (Páginas 7-8)
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"Dans la première partie, intitulée Repenser l’environnement en tant que commun, les considérations liées à la nécessité d’une approche interdisciplinaire en communication environnementale sont précisées. La deuxième partie, intitulée La question du public et la gouvernance de l’env
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ironnement analyse de manière détaillée les dimensions théoriques et pratiques de la communication environnementale et clarifie la notion de public et les modalités de mise en place des débats publics sur les questions environnementales. La troisième partie de l’ouvrage, intitulée Développement durable et communication de risque, traite de la communication environnementale dans les organisations. S’attardant sur les notions de développement durable et de communication de risque, l’auteur examine le rôle de l’expertise dans les processus communicationnels liés à la gouvernance des questions environnementales." (Dos de couverture)
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"Aus der Perspektive der Rezeptions- und Wirkungsforschung stellt sich die Frage, wie mediale Kommunikation dazu beitragen kann, dass Menschen klimabewusster handeln. Die bisherigen Ergebnisse zeigen, dass viele der typischen Darstellungsformen des Klimawandels - wie Katastrophenbilder - eher kontra
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produktiv wirken. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich deswegen der Frage, welche Medieneigenschaften klimaschonendes Handeln positiv unterstützen. Den theoretischen Ausgangspunkt bildet das Forschungsfeld Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation. Der hier verortete Ansatz der Handlungsorientierung nimmt an, dass Menschen in Lernsituationen selbst aktiv handeln müssen, damit sie das Gelernte in ihren Alltag übertragen. Handeln wird durch fünf Merkmalen charakterisiert: Intentionalität, Erstellen eines Produktes, Handlungsspielraum, Bewusstheit des Handelns und der Prozesscharakter. Hieraus werden Gestaltungsempfehlungen für ein Online-Spiel formuliert und Variablen für die empirische Studie abgeleitet. Als zweite theoretische Säule wird das Forschungsfeld "Interactive Storytelling" erschlossen und das dramentheoretische Modell von Lessing ausgewählt. Um das entwickelte Variablenmodell zu testen, wird das Online-Spiel "RED - Renewable Energy Drama" (ca. 10 Spielminuten) konzipiert. Es thematisiert das Stromsparen im eigenen Haushalt. Eine quantitative Online-Befragung (n=287) prüft die theoretischen Annahmen, ergänzend werden Interaktionsdaten aus dem Spielverlauf erfasst. Die Ergebnisse der Studie zeigen, dass ein hoher Alltagsbezug der entscheidende Faktor ist. Stehen verschiedene, alltagsnahe Möglichkeiten zur Verfügung, um eine Aufgabe zu lösen (Handlungsspielraum), dann denken die Spieler stärker darüber nach, wie sie diese Aufgabe üblicherweise zuhause lösen (Bewusstheit). Dies wiederum hat einen positiven Effekt auf alle Dimension von Handlungskompetenz: die Spielenden haben den Eindruck, alltagstaugliche Heuristiken zum Stromsparen zu lernen, sich die Bedeutung ihres eigenen Handelns für den Klimaschutz bewusst zu machen und eigene Verhaltensweisen zu reflektieren und/oder zu verändern. Einen ebenso positiven Effekt hat es, wenn das Feedback zu den gelösten Aufgaben als hilfreich bewertet wird, was besonders dann der Fall ist, wenn Verhaltensalternativen miteinander verglichen werden. Auch Spielcharaktere, die ein realistisches Verhalten mit typischen, konfligierenden Gedanken und Gefühle in alltäglichen Entscheidungssituationen zeigen, haben einen positiven Effekt auf die Handlungskompetenz." (Zusammenfassung)
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"Over the past four decades, Lake Victoria has come under pressure from a multiplicity of interlinked human activities including industrial pollution, eutrophication and sedimentation. These pressures have contributed to ecological changes in the lake, incorporating unprecedented loss of biodiversit
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y and water quality deterioration. This is threatening the lake's capacity to provide for the communities, as well as its contribution to the local economy. In performing their social responsibilities, the news media (particularly radio) have endeavoured to highlight the environmental crises on Lake Victoria. The Victoria Voice radio programmes on Uganda's CBS radio are one of the endeavours targeting lakeside communities. The key question raised here is how these radio programmes are perceived and interpreted by the communities. While they attest to their relevance in providing information on the crises on the lake, it is also evident that audiences are not naïve and passive, but recognise the ‘power relations’ embedded in the programmes. The communities also argue that the programmes shifted their focus from the major causes of pollution, and pointed fingers at them in addition to excluding their views from the programmes. In the end, the audiences advocate for opportunities that will increase their participation in these programmes." (Abstract)
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"Since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, fossil fuels have supplied much if not most of that energy. Today, oil, coal and gas meet three-quarters of our needs. The oil and gas industry alone generates revenue running into several trillion dollars each year. It’s a market
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that can offer a producing country a one-off opportunity to change life for the better [...] for everyone. Experience has shown that that does not always follow. Oil production, in some countries, has been a curse instead of a blessing. Translating wishful thinking into reality depends on how the resources, and the revenue from them, are earned, managed and spent. This is where you come in. You, the journalist, have a vital role to play. This handbook will not teach you everything you need to know about the oil and gas industry. It’s more of an introductory guide to help you get your bearings. It will offer you a few pointers and, hopefully, stimulate your natural curiosity." (Introduction)
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"Modernisation becomes a hegemonic ideology in Chinese society, while China faces enormous environmental problems. Investigative Journalism, Environmental Problems and Modernisation in China argues that investigative journalism has constructed a discourse of environmental risk that is in contrast wi
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th the discourse of modernisation encouraged by Chinese governments for over half a century. By constructing the discourse of environmental risk, investigative journalism exposes the true nature of modernisation on the one hand, and on the other hand, it reveals the connection between social and environmental injustice and inequality. The bifurcation between the two discourses reflects the rift between environment and modernisation as well as the divergence between people and the state. Investigative journalism demonstrates a counter-hegemonic force against the hegemonic discourse of modernisation to a certain extent. The book starts with an overview of the relationship between the emergence of environmental problems and China's modernisation and focuses on the agendas and practices of environmental investigative journalism, the discourse of environmental risk and the challenges and chances offered by the Internet." (Publisher description)
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"In the next few decades, we face unprecedented challenges and tough choices about how to use Earth’s resources. Whether we thrive as a species will depend on our ability to think globally and creatively, and to work across borders to solve our common problems. News media worldwide should play a k
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ey role in helping us understand these problems, and in identifying and spreading the most effective solutions. The media development sector can also take a leadership role in this conversation. The sector can identify the most effective and engaging technologies and storytelling methods. It can channel resources into driving adoption of the pioneering work of environmental reporters, who are among the most innovative and collaborative practitioners of the journalism craft. The sector can partner with issue-based donors and perhaps even marketers to craft a compelling case for the importance of environmental news in regions where the topic is often neglected." (Page 6)
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"We provide an assessment of the change in knowledge of a rural village in the Congo Basin after inhabitants listened to one of the radio programs that were prepared on climate change. The document also provides potential indicators for result up-scaling. After applying a micro-economic model to a c
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ase–control experiment, both before and after exposure to one radio program, the results show an increase in knowledge of 22.3% attributable to the radio program. In addition, a series of reactions were recorded from different end users, such as other media, ministries, NGO representatives and researchers, who reacted positively to the broadcasts. We recommend the use of radio programs to increase knowledge and induce behavioral changes with regard to climate change adaptation and mitigation." (Back cover)
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"Reducing risk and increasing resilience to natural disasters and climate change requires access to knowledge, information and the active participation of vulnerable population. Planning Communication for Agricultural Disaster Risk Management (ADRM) is a field guide to orient ADRM teams and concerne
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d stakeholders for the design and implementation of communication for development (ComDev) activities that will increase resilience and protect the livelihoods of rural communities. It builds on the experience gained in the Caribbean region as a result of FAO projects aimed at strengthening preparedness to natural disasters and improving community-based climate change adaptation. As a field guide, it provides a complete overview of how to assess rural people’s communication needs and how to plan and implement ComDev activities in the context of disaster risk management, crisis preparedness and emergency response in agriculture, food security and nutrition. It also provides guidance on how to apply ComDev to enhance the overall ADRM participatory planning and result monitoring processes, ensuring multi-stakeholder dialogue and participation." (Back cover)
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