Author(s)

Xiang Meng

Corresponding Author

Xiang Meng

Abstract

Due to the increasingly serious global ecological problems, the mainstream media has deeply influenced our views and actions by raising environmental protection issues. From the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism, this study systematically examines how the environmental agenda-setting of mainstream media shapes the entire process and internal mechanisms of public environmental awareness. This study examines the characteristics of mainstream media in selecting environmental topics, constructing story frames, and using various symbols. Next, this paper focuses on how the public negotiates with the media through "coding-decoding" in the process of symbol interaction, and establishes a hierarchical cognitive structure step by step-from feeling that environmental issues are important to gradually shaping environmental values and behavioral intentions. The study also points out that due to the diverse interpretations of social groups and the moderating effect of media literacy, public environmental awareness shows a differentiated trend. In response to the structural contradictions and ethical dilemmas in current environmental communication—such as the contest between globalization and localization discourses and the erosion of publicity by commercial logic—this paper finally proposes optimization paths such as enhancing participatory interaction and building diversified collaborative communication networks, so as to promote a positive and healthy role of media environmental communication in constructing public awareness.

Keywords

Symbolic Interactionism; Agenda Setting; Public Environmental Awareness