Communication and Deliberation for Environmental Governance
Two‑way communication most strongly shapes environmental values and behaviors, while one‑way efforts mainly shift conceptual frames. Impacts depend on medium, trust, timing, and context, with digital platforms and misinformation increasingly important. Deliberative, citizen‑focused dialogue offers the most democratic model.
Subject Tags
- Community-based conservation
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
- Social Sciences
Abstract
Environmental governance occurs through and is shaped by communication. We propose a typology of public communication, classifying it by directionality (one-way or two-way) and objective (informational or operational). We then review how communication types influence individuals’ conceptual frames, values, and environmental behaviors. Though one-way communication is common, its impact is often limited to influencing conceptual frames. Research on two-way informational communication demonstrates a greater ability to align conceptual frames and values among individuals, and research on two-way operational communication demonstrates the greatest impact on conceptual frames, values, and environmental behaviors. Factors that affect the impact of communication include the medium through which it occurs, trust, timing, and social-material context. Among these, our review considers new directions in public communication research that focus on the role of digital platforms, misinformation, and disinformation. We conclude by synthesizing research on deliberative communication, a case of communication among citizens guided by democratic ideals.
Citation
Erbaugh, J.T., Chang, C.H., Masuda, Y.J. and Ribot, J., 2024. Communication and deliberation for environmental governance. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 49(1), pp.367-393. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-082450
TNC Authors
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James T. Erbaugh
The Nature Conservancy
Email: james.erbaugh@tnc.org