A Strategic Nature: Public Relations and the Politics of American Environmentalism

In A Strategic NatureMelissa Aronczyk and Maria I. Espinoza examine public relations as a social and political force that shapes both our understanding of the environmental crises we now face and our responses to them.

Drawing on in-depth interviews, ethnography, and archival research, Aronczyk and Espinoza document the evolution of PR techniques to control public perception of the environment since the beginning of the twentieth century. More than spin or misinformation, PR affects how institutions and individuals conceptualize environmental problems.

Revealing the linkages of professional strategists, information politics, and environmental standards, A Strategic Nature shows how public relations restricts alternative paths to a sustainable climate future.

Read the introduction to A Strategic Nature.

Aronczyk, M., & Espinoza, M. 2022. A Strategic Nature: Public Relations and the Politics of American Environmentalism. New York: Oxford University Press.

U.S. House of Representatives, Natural Resources Committee

Melissa Aronczyk’s testimony to Congress: How the tactics used by PR firms constitute climate disinformation.

Presentation title: Investigations Subcommittee Hearing: “The Role of Public Relations Firms in Preventing Action on Climate Change.”

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