The Environment as Theme and Package on a Local Television Newscast

Abstract

This study investigated 601 stories in a segment called Earth KARE on a local TV newscast to determine how such a theme of coverage presented the environment. Despite previous findings of the prominence of science in media coverage of the environment, Earth KARE presented the environment as a government story, both in terms of news sources (40 percent) and arena of action (54 percent). The majority of station resources—use of reporters, video, and chitchat—also was allocated to government stories. The constraints faced by news directors in efficiently producing a daily thematic segment with good audience draw may create a reliance on (and deference to) the planned, reliable information provided by government and secondarily by business.