The Monitor Environmental Forum Blog

A response to “The Monitor Environmental Forum: Initiating a Journalistic Shift” found Vol. 15, Iss. 2, P. 4.

I have a few points of contention with the “Initiating a Journalistic Shift” article in the last edition of the Monitor. My first issue concerns Dalton’s quote about the U.S. media’s lack of environmental caution as being “precisely why many Americans are so disconnected from the natural world.”  I think this quote grossly oversimplifies not only America’s environmental state, but also that of every other Western nation.  To blame humanity’s increasing alienation from the natural world solely on the media is absurd. Industrialization, modernization, apathy…sure.  But the media?  In the long line of human “progress,” journalism’s connection probably constitutes a small minority of the human condition.  Dalton ultimately gives the media way too much power and influence.  While I do agree that major news networks should increase the coverage of America’s negative tendencies, I don’t feel like this will be the sole solution to our planet’s environmental woes.  It certainly won’t change the mindset of American ultra-consumers.  That sort of paradigm shift can’t happen with just a few more stories on global warming or overflowing landfills.  Something drastic has to happen, and until then, nothing major will change.  It’s a harsh reality, but one that simply cannot be wished away by CNN coverage. – Samantha Lyons

I absolutely agree that industrialization and modernization have contributed to our disconnect with the natural world.  I’ll address your point of contention by saying I feel I must have written under an assumption that did not translate well.  I claim that we are so disconnected from the natural world because of the media and its capitalist-driven agenda.  I am in absolute agreement that several things have led to our separation from the environment, but I am specifically referring to the destruction of the natural world — elimination of biodiversity, more violent and increasingly frequent examples of speciesism — through consumerism.  The media is the chief operator of our consumer mind.  I must disagree with you in the statement “journalism’s connection probably constitutes a small minority of the human condition,” because I don’t see what else contributes so comprehensively, so significantly to the human condition today.  Media dictates our desires, our wants, our needs, our habits: media has become so immensely pervasive in our conduct that I find it hard to understand what inspires people more than watching a television program or a film.  I feel that the diversity of understanding our own lifestyles and interests has been compromised by the entertainment and media industries.  For this reason, I feel that we have further bastardized our origin — the natural world.

I do agree that something drastic must take place to change our mindset.  Desirably I’d like to see that it will come from a social or cultural shift and not by way of violence — but who knows how it will take place?