Newlands, Maxine (2018) Environmental activism and the media: the politics of protest. Peter Lang, New York, NY, USA.

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Abstract

If protesters take to the streets at climate summits, start anti-fracking camps, or take direct action over airport expansion, should they run the risk of arrest?

The author addresses this question by drawing on research in environmental and media politics to take a closer look at why it’s acceptable to find climate change solutions in economics, but not acceptable to stop the source of climate change through direct action and protest camps. Taking the reader through different cultural, political and socio-economic landscapes of environmental activism, the author examines the ecoActivist movement in the UK to understand where environmental politics, economics and contentious politics sit within the climate debate.

Proposing an original theorization of the relationship between the state, activists and traditional media, the book illustrates how current climate change solutions shift between environmental governance, free-market economics, and activism nestled in media discourse.

Research Statement

Research Background	The book draws on over 50 interviews with activists in the UK,USA and Australia. Critical Discourse Analysis of newspaper clippings and reporting of ecoActivism in the traditional media as the framework for the findings and supported by interview data and several focus groups. Drawing on media (Fairclough, 1995; Couldry, 2000; Gerbadou 2012) and political discourse theory, (Dryzek, 2000; Foucault, 1979, 2000, 2000) this book with chart the relations of power and socio-economic outcomes between environmental activist groups since 1997. In doing so the power relations reveal that shaping the public understanding of radical environmental activism sees power shifting away from activism towards environmental governance and free-market economics, nestled in a media discourse
Research Contribution	This book makes a significant contribution to the fields of political discourse, media relations, democratic debates and environmental politics.
Item ID:	45616
Item Type:	Book (Research - A1)
ISBN:	978-1-4331-5010-4
Keywords:	protest, climate change, activism, environmental governance
Date Deposited:	26 Sep 2017 03:44
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4408 Political science > 440805 Environmental politics @ 70% 47 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 4701 Communication and media studies > 470104 International and development communication @ 30%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950204 The Media @ 40% 94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9402 Government and Politics > 940201 Civics and Citizenship @ 60%
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