Energy Citizens “Just Like You”? Public Relations Campaigning by the Climate Change Counter-movement
Environmental Communication
Environmental Communication
How can we conceptualize, document, and organize evidence of misinformation (or disinformation) and manipulation around climate issues? How do you know it when you see it; and who should be accountable?
Dr. Aronczyk’s current research seeks to address two primary questions:
The main goal of this research project is to look not just at the role of the companies themselves but at the role of the various intermediaries who support the communications and strategies of these companies. The goal is to identify the specific ways that these intermediaries support their anti-climate clients, and identify what responsibility they have for the disinformation that spreads through various public and political channels.
Nations & Nationalism
Greenwashing is a prominent and highly problematic form of climate disinformation. Greenwashing can be defined as attempts by industry groups or other organizations to make their products or practices seem more environmentally friendly than they really are. It is a particularly insidious form of climate disinformation because it relies on misleading or deceptive rhetorical tactics that obscure the causes and consequences of climate change for the public.
This project assesses the extent to which public relations firms and other consultancies have been responsible for crafting promotional campaigns for their clients that engage in greenwashing in the following ways (among many others):
San Francisco Chronicle