Earthling Environmental Activist Forum

Image, media and activism panel 

4:30pm – 6:30pm Saturday, 30^th September, Newcastle Town Hall, Banquet Room

Environmental groups, especially those with extensive resources, have become increasingly interested in notions of “framing” “messaging” and how to attract media attention. Panellists and audience members will be encouraged to reflect on the benefits and risks of this kind of community engagement and explore whether this media-consciousness serves short-term “outcome-based” campaigns at the expense of longer-viewed consciousness shifts.  

This panel will ask the question: What gains has the “movement” made by becoming more sophisticated in terms of messaging and marketing? And what, if anything is lost by focus-grouping environmental awareness?

Environmental groups, especially those with extensive resources, have becoming increasingly interested in notions of “framing” “messaging” and how to attract media attention.

Panelists and audience members representing the Big Non-Government Organisations will be encouraged to reflect on the benefits and risks of this kind of community engagement. The panel will also include representatives of grassroots campaigning, and Aboriginal communities, and the session will explore whether this media-consciousness serves short-term “outcome-based” campaigns at the expense of longer-viewed consciousness shifts.   

What gains do you think environmentalism as a whole has made by becoming more sophisticated in messaging and marketing?

What, if anything is lost by focus-grouping environmental awareness? Are we in control of our message or victims of the image-obsessed market-place?   

If you’ve thought about these ideas, we want you to come and challenge and bounce off our panel, and thrash out our ideas about this crazy business: dealing with the media.  

Bob Burton, Sourcewatch