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Environmental mass media is a type of thematic media whose publications and programs are designed for an audience that is interested in current and relevant issues related to ecology. A characteristic feature of modern environmental journalism is its integration with other thematic spheres of the media, since nowadays environmental issues affect virtually all aspects of human life. The media is the main source of environmental information. Thanks to its technical capabilities, television is the most effective audiovisual information channel for disseminating knowledge about the ecological condition of our planet. The role of TV journalists is extremely important not only in shaping people's environmental consciousness but also in solving some environmental problems. In addition to communities struggling with all their might for a green future, the media must also help them. Their task is the effective promotion of the ideas of ecological life, the exchange of experiences, and general information campaigns. There are such highly specialized professions as eco-blogger, eco-journalist, and eco-lecturer, who are engaged in promoting the idea of environmental protection to the masses. Journalists also raise the topics of deforestation, water pollution, and chemical and nuclear waste. More often than not, the reason for creating a special report devoted to environmental problems is one or another conflict situation that has arisen in the region. Thus, environmental media is one of the most active and diverse forms of information exchange related to environmental issues.
Green presses are newspapers, magazines, bulletins, digests, and other environmental periodicals (both printed and electronic) that specialize in covering various aspects and problems of ecology and environmental protection. Their aim is not only to inform about existing environmental problems but also to help improve the environmental literacy and environmental culture of their audience. Today with the advent of the Internet and further creation of social networks we can also add such a type of info broadcasting as environmental online media. Within the niche there is its own ramified gradation "Green" media are differentiated:
This type of mass media is the form of printed environmental publications. These include: ● environmental newspapers, ● magazines, ● environmental journals, ● brochures, ● leaflets, ● almanacs, ● bulletins, ● etc. Printed ecological publications cover all ecological issues of social, political, and cultural life. The top environmental publications are placed on the front pages of newspapers, magazines, and booklets.
Broadcast media include radio and television. While ecological publications are a static medium, broadcast media are dynamic ones. Eco messages in broadcast media affect the emotions of viewers and listeners for a few moments and then disappear. In this, they are fundamentally different from the messages in the print media, which have a long period of existence and can be repeatedly re-read. Today there is a high social demand for information about the state of the natural environment. According to surveys of the population, 85% of the respondents named environmental problems among important social problems. Television is not only an effective channel for the dissemination of information about current problems of the environment but also contributes to the formation of environmental awareness among people. This determines the relevance of the chosen topic. An environmental media company that utilizes broadcast messages differs from one using print messages in many ways because the former has an additional meaning and emotional impact on the audience through the use of sound and moving images.
Social networks occupy a special place in environmental online media. In today's world, most people prefer to draw information from online resources such as YouTube or other information platforms. Among environmentalists, a special place at heart is occupied by environmental websites, where current environmental topics and articles are collected. Modern online media can be divided into two large groups: electronic versions of offline ecology publications and online media that do not come out in a traditional format. Such resources give people the opportunity to read environmental articles and communicate with like-minded people online on environmental topics. This type of media is the most numerous, as it covers more than half of the world's population. The fundamental feature of the Internet is the diversity and simplicity of the forms of communication between people: emails, letters, messages on social networks, and chats. It can be carried out with a different number of people and in all possible formats: text, multimedia, etc. The second distinguishing feature is high-speed distribution and the absence of borders. Eco events that take place on one continent in a matter of seconds reach another. All this has an impact on environmental publications, making them completely different from traditional ones. Based on the above, one can conclude that the media covering environmental issues is extremely diverse. The reciprocal influence of human activity and the environment affects so many areas of the audience's life that the field of environmental journalism can seem somewhat chaotic. Therefore, there is a need to systematize the environmental media.
The media have always played and continue to play a role in shaping public opinion. Journalists, under their functions, influence public opinion and can determine the direction of citizens on this or that issue. It is difficult to turn away from environmental problems posed in this way. Both in print media and on television, it is up to the journalist how he presents this information: whether people learn about the existing problem, how they will treat it, whether the problem will cause panic in society or, on the contrary, resolute action to protect their rights to a favorable environment. Proper presentation of environmental news is an important factor in approaching a green future. It is also impossible to imagine a solution to environmental issues without the participation of the media. Thus, journalism is one of the tools for solving environmental problems.