A comparison between the division of environmental communication study areas and an actual case

Abstract: This article compares the study areas of environmental communication delineated by Cox (2007) with interview results of seven civil servants and three politicians engaged in environmental policies and their implementation in the municipality of Växjö, Sweden. The research question is threefold; (1) which study areas of environmental communication tended to be emphasized, (2) which were not, and (3) which did not fit into Cox’s divisions. Study areas most emphasized by interviewees were environmental rhetoric and discourse, public participation in environmental decision making, advocacy campaigns, and representations of nature in popular culture and green marketing. Less emphasized areas were media and environmental journalism, environmental collaboration and conflict resolution, and risk communication. Interview results also suggested a new study area, environmental experiences and knowledge sharing.