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spend additional money for products with sustainability attributes and many agreed
with the statement that “environmental problems are exaggerated”. Given that the
mainstream social groups represent over half of society (Sinus Sociovision 2007,
effective use of the media to communicate sustainability issues with these social
groups is vital. 1
The project “Sustainability and the media – Integration of sustainability themes
among NRW media partners” which was undertaken with funding provided by the
Ministry of the Environment and Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
(MUNLV) of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia aims to demonstrate
how sustainability topics can be integrated in existing as well as in new,
emerging and not yet existing media formats.
This study aims to create framework conditions for concrete actions and project
ideas, such that public entities can promote enhanced ‘sustainability performance’
of different media formats. The results of this study were presented and discussed
during a full day workshop held 03 December 2009 at the UNEP/Wuppertal Institute
Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP).
The objective of the workshop was to engage media experts, journalists and researchers,
to evaluate the findings of the study and the input received has been
incorporated into this report.
1.2 General media trends and current representations of
sustainability topics in the media
Media is an essential part of society today. It informs, it entertains, it helps people
to form and support opinions, and it can serve as an orienting force in society. Media
therefore also influences the way people act and for this reason has displaced
traditional roles and functions of many educational, religious and political institutions
(Reichertz 2000). Media has a core role in fostering holistic changes in society
according to the overall concept of sustainability. People can be reached with
sustainability messages through the effective use of media formats. People could
learn from media, or at its best, modify their attitudes and behaviours as has been
shown in a number of studies (Europabarometer 2001, Porter Novelli 2002 and
2005, Kaiser Family Foundation 2008, Reusswig et al. 2004).
1 For research in the field of mainstream consumers, their media habits and sustainability issues, it might be
valuable to look at the different milieu groups and their media habits in detail; Haas (2007) is among the first
researchers to examine these issues in detail. Although there are some differences between the various mainstream
groups, for the purposes of the study were not deemed sufficient to warrant individual analysis within
this project.
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