Critical and Cultural Studies Commons^™

Consuming Nature: Mass Media And The Cultural Politics Of Animals And Environments, Carrie Packwood Freeman, Jason Jarvis

Carrie P. Freeman

The commercially-driven mass media package human identity and all our surrounding environment for daily consumption in the public sphere. It is of critical importance whether media choose to ignore humanity’s responsibility toward the natural world and simply have us consume it as a product, or whether they actively cultivate ecological responsibility and newfound respect toward animals as fellow sentient beings. This chapter explores the necessity, potential, and challenges of relying on the media (journalism, television, advertising, film, radio, internet, etc.) to inspire the social change needed to reverse the destructive behaviors and beliefs that are contributing to our global ecological …