Environmental communication in the Star : an exploratory biosocial study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the biosocial linkages between South African society in a developing country and the biophysical environment by means of environmental communication i.e. the environmental themes presented in a South African newspaper The Star. The investigation takes the form of a review of research published in the field of environmental communication, a quantitative analysis of environmental communication published in The Star over a period of 12 months, and an assessment of biosocial connections between man and biophysical environment. The major findings of this study are that amongst all environmental themes dealt with in the newspaper, resource use receives considerable coverage, which indicates significant functional biosocial linkages between South African society and the biophysical environment. Another finding is that as a mass medium The Star contributes to more effective social interaction with the biophysical environment.