Environmental Communication Products Advocating for LEED in Boston
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Environmental Communication Products Advocating for LEED in Boston
Newspaper articles facilitate environmental communication on a wide scale. The traditional forms of mass media are still relevant sources of information for the public. The public is dependent on these sources, especially in cases where there is no first-hand information on the events being reported (Happer, 2013). Therefore, traditional media sources are a pillar of informing public belief and can focus the public interest on particular topics depending on the agenda-setting motives. The press, or newspaper, is a key product of environmental communication that can be used to create environmental awareness concerning LEED’s efficacy in the public housing sector of Boston. This form of communication will reach the secondary audience of advising agencies and residents and will shape their perception of the environmental benefits of LEED. Through a sustained media campaign in the newspapers, awareness and support will be raised for the shift. This support that will build among the secondary audience will pressure the primary audience to shift to LEED in public housing.
Townhall engagements can be used to reach the primary audience. Townhall meetings are open to the public and have direct engagement by the city council, which represents the primary audience. The public can show support for the transition to LEED in this forum, and the opposers can be heard through this group meeting. Additionally, residents who live in green buildings can provide the first-hand experience to support the transition to LEED. The primary benefits this group will cite include the savings on the cost of amenities and the social and environmental responsibility satisfied by living in green buildings. The attendance in the town hall meeting can be promoted through communication to the secondary audience. This communication will take the form of local newsletters and emails as well as the use of mass media such as reminders on news channels, newspapers, and radio shows.
References
Happer, C., & Philo, G. (2013). The role of the media in the construction of public belief and social change. Journal of social and political psychology, 1(1), 321-336.