Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Environmental Organizations’ Litigation Communication In The Polarized U.S. Political Landscape, Rachel Anderle

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This study analyzes environmental litigation communication in an increasingly polarized political context. Specifically, this project analyzes environmental organizations’ communication strategies and messages related to their litigation efforts in order to better understand how environmental nonprofits frame environmental litigation within the current U. S. political landscape. Multiple data sources (e.g., website content, tweets, and interviews) triangulate the study by providing varying strategic perspectives on organizations’ environmental litigation communication efforts. Results show that nonprofit organizations like the National Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club use a variety of frames that portray litigation as a righteous action used to hold those in power …