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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to An environmental problem in the making: how media logic molds scientific uncertainty in the production of news about artificial turf in Sweden
ClearThe scientification of risks and the risks of scientification
This chapter investigates the use of 'scientification' as a discursive strategy in Swedish public debates about microplastics and artificial turf pitches, analyzing how a 2016 report attributing major microplastic emissions to tire wear and turf granules became a contested scientific authority in policy debates. The author examines how scientific uncertainty is mobilized and shaped in public and political discourse around environmental risk.
Media Issue Crystallization: The Case of Microplastic in Denmark
This study examined how Danish news media constructed and framed microplastic pollution as an emerging environmental issue, analyzing the process by which a complex scientific problem becomes a public concern. Media framing of microplastics influences public awareness and political action on plastic pollution.
On the Creation of Risk: Framing of Microplastics Risks in Science and Media
This study analyzes how microplastic risks are framed in scientific literature and media coverage, finding that scientific uncertainty is often amplified into public alarm through media framing, and examining the social construction of environmental risk in the absence of definitive toxicological evidence.
A quest for greener grass: Value-action gap in the management of artificial turf pitches in Sweden
Researchers investigated the value-action gap in artificial turf management in Sweden through semi-structured interviews with turf managers and users, finding that despite broadly positive attitudes toward sustainability, actors were prevented from reducing microplastic pollution by complex multi-level policy terrain, financial constraints, and the 'sportification' of football culture.
The influence of media narratives on microplastics risk perception
Researchers examined how media narratives about microplastic pollution influence public risk perception. The study argues that accurate and balanced reporting is essential to prevent misinformation and ensure people clearly understand the risks associated with microplastics. The findings suggest that understanding public perceptions can help design better interventions to reduce plastic consumption and its associated health and environmental impacts.
Telling stories about (micro)plastic pollution: Media images, public perceptions and social change
This paper examines how microplastic pollution has been framed in media reporting and how the public understands the issue, finding that culturally embedded ideas about risk and health shape people's responses. Understanding media framing and public perception is important for designing effective communication strategies around microplastic contamination.
Pro-Environmental Behaviour of Two Norway's Mainstream Mass Media
Researchers analyzed how two mainstream Norwegian mass media outlets address plastic waste issues in the Nordic region, examining their pro-environmental framing, stakeholder engagement strategies, and the constraints they face in driving government, NGO, and public action on plastic waste management.
How Are Microplastics Represented in the Korean Media? : An Analysis Based on Reporting Periods, Political Inclinations and Uncertainty
An analysis of 514 South Korean news articles about microplastics from 2018 to 2023 found that media coverage focused heavily on health and environmental risks while rarely acknowledging the scientific uncertainty that still surrounds microplastic hazards. Coverage shifted after a 2021 government anti-plastics policy announcement, moving from problem-framing toward response-framing, with progressive outlets emphasizing regulation and conservative outlets emphasizing research and technology. The study warns that consistent omission of uncertainty in media reporting may suppress public scientific debate and lead to poorly calibrated risk perceptions.
Media Coverage of Sustainable Fashion: a Linguistic Perspective
This linguistic analysis examines how media coverage frames sustainable fashion, finding that despite growing attention to environmental issues in the fashion industry, there remains a significant gap between theoretical discourse and practical implementation of sustainable practices.
A Risky Object? How Microplastics Are Represented in the German Media
Analysis of German print media coverage of microplastics from 2012 to 2019 found a shift from framing microplastics as a distant marine problem to a personal health risk, with the discovery of microplastics in human bodies driving increased alarm and calls for precautionary regulatory action.
Navigating regulatory complexity: Challenges and shifting problem framings in turning microplastics into a European policy object
This paper analyzed the regulatory challenges posed by micro- and nanoplastics, examining how ambiguous definitions and material heterogeneity have made it difficult for policymakers to establish stable regulatory frameworks. The study traced how problem framing has shifted in policy debates and identified key obstacles to effective governance of plastic particle pollution.
Concept development of granular traps : A study to reduce the spread of microplastics from artificial turf
This Swedish engineering thesis developed a concept for granular traps to prevent microplastics from artificial turf sports fields from spreading to surrounding environments via stormwater runoff. Tire crumb rubber and artificial turf infill are major sources of microplastic pollution in urban waterways.
Media coverage, attention cycles and the governance of plastics pollution
This study analyzes how media coverage and public attention cycles affect governance responses to plastics pollution. Researchers found that heightened media attention has increased public engagement with plastics issues, but the coherence and durability of public pressure remains questionable. The study suggests that policymakers can leverage attention peaks to initiate longer-term reforms, and that reframing plastics as an economic and health issue may help sustain public concern.
Motives of Environmental Coverages by North European Mass Media: The Role of Three Nordic Countries on Combating Plastic Waste
This study examines why Nordic mass media (Norway, Denmark, Sweden) give strong coverage to environmental issues including plastic waste, finding that geographic proximity to the sea and economic dependence on marine resources motivate media attention, which in turn influences government environmental policy. The paper focuses on media sociology and environmental communication with no direct relevance to microplastic research.
Exploring how municipalities address microplastics pollution in stormwater – a case study in a Swedish municipality
Researchers investigated how one Swedish municipality has approached the problem of microplastic pollution in stormwater, finding that most actions targeted rubber crumb infill from artificial turf fields and plastic litter. Despite political prioritization and a formal action plan, limited resources constrained implementation of broader measures. The study offers a practical example of how local governments navigate emerging pollutants that lack strict regulatory frameworks, which is relevant for developing national microplastics policy.
The Phenomenon of Greenwashing In The Fashion Industry: A Conceptual Framework
This paper develops a conceptual framework for understanding greenwashing in the fashion industry, where brands make misleading environmental claims. The fashion industry is a major source of synthetic microfiber pollution, making honest sustainability reporting especially important for environmental protection.
Navigating regulatory complexity: Challenges and shifting problem framings in turning microplastics into a European policy object
This paper analyzed the challenges regulators face in governing micro- and nanoplastics, examining how shifting problem framings, ambiguous definitions, and material heterogeneity have destabilized regulatory efforts. The study traced how disputes over whether microplastics are a safety or environmental issue have complicated the development of coherent international regulatory frameworks.
Communicating scientific uncertainties: Effects of message and audience characteristics in the context of microplastic health risks
Researchers conducted an experiment with over 1,100 participants in Austria to study how communicating scientific uncertainty about microplastic health risks affects public perception. They found that emphasizing a lack of scientific consensus led to lower risk perception and indirectly reduced support for related policies. Framing uncertainty as remaining knowledge gaps rather than disagreement among scientists produced less negative effects on public engagement.
Framing for action? Assessing microplastic-related threat potential for planetary health as a political participation catalyzer
This study analyzed how microplastic-related threats to planetary health are communicated as a political issue, finding that framing microplastics as a systemic health risk increases public concern and may serve as a catalyst for environmental policy action.
Widespread Occurrence of Non-Extractable Fluorine in Artificial Turfs from Stockholm, Sweden
Researchers found widespread non-extractable fluorine contamination in artificial turf samples from Stockholm, indicating the presence of PFAS compounds that could not be fully identified or quantified. Artificial turf fields are a known source of both microplastic rubber particles and toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances entering the environment.