Mapping the Boundary of Media Effects on Environmental Concerns: Evidence from 37 Societies

• In Event: Public Understanding and Perceptions of Environmental Issues

Abstract

The present study discusses the extent to which news media use leads to environmental concern and a willingness to engage in environmentally protective actions across 37 societies and tackles whether the effects of news media use are contingent on two macro-level factors: namely, the level of press freedom and real-world environmental conditions. Multilevel mixed models were conducted based on the latest iteration of the World Values Survey (n=44,142). Our results indicate that using newspapers, TVs, and the Internet to follow the news increases people’s awareness of local and global environmental hazards, while reading newspapers boosts people’s willingness to protect the environment. Press freedom and real-world environmental situations moderate the impacts of news media use on environmental outcomes in distinct patterns. We also discuss the role of news media in promoting an informed and active environmental citizenship in different political and environmental contexts.

Authors

• Xinzhi Zhang, Hong Kong Polytechnic U

• Zhi-Jin Zhong, Sun Yat-sen U