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2.2.3 Chosen media genres: Entertainment television and
print/web 2.0
Core arguments in favour of selecting entertainment television and print/web 2.0
media as targets for suggestions, tools and new project concepts to foster integration
of sustainability topics in the media include:
Argument 1: Entertainment television and print/web 2.0 are genres with a
high potential to change attitudes and behaviours
Reusswig et al. (2004) found that an entertainment television movie focussing on
climate change topics stimulated learning processes among audiences. Following
viewing the film, audiences were more willing to take steps to change on a personal
level as well as request political action for the climate change.
Health Styles, a US study series from Porter Novelli (2002 and 2005), confirmed
learning processes connected to inclusion of sustainability topics in entertainment
TV. Half of the viewers considered the information shown on US entertainment
television as accurate and trustworthy. When regular TV drama viewers were
asked if they learned anything of sustainability information from a TV storyline, twothirds
of the viewers responded affirmatively. In addition, one-third responded that
they took action after seeing health messages on TV, including actions such as
deciding to become organ donor or place lids on cooking pots to save energy.
Moreover, these studies emphasize that an exchange on web 2.0 platforms after
watching the programs is an essential element for reflection processes and supports
potential attitudes/behaviour change.
A study by Witzel/Kaminski (2008) found that medical entertainment programs
such as “Dr. House” or “Grey’s Anatomy” influenced German audiences enormously
with respect to the integration of information contained within storylines to
everyday life.
Argument 2: Entertainment television and print/web 2.0 have a significant
potential to reach mainstream media users
For the highly educated demographic, the “information-elite”, a variety of media
formats exist to communicate sustainability issues via media. These tend to be fact
based, present figures and elaborate on core information to get messages through
to these consumers. Examples of these include formats such as the broadcaster
ZDF: “ZDF-Umwelt” (ZDF-environment), Arte: “Global TV-magazine”, “Nachrichten
vom blauen Planeten” (messages from the blue planet), the US-internet platform
“Treehugger”, or the magazine “Ethical Consumer” (UK).
Although there is a considerable amount of material aimed at higher educated
groups, the issue of how to reach users of mainstream media in Germany (es-
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