Convergence and Climate Change
- Instructor Prep: 2 hours | Seminar: 1-2 class slots
- Keywords: Climate Change | Technical Solutionism | Convergence | Visualisation
INTRODUCTION
This teaching guide is meant to integrate the topic of climate change into existing classes in the field of Media and Communication Studies. This guide is created for teachers and professors interested in including environmental issues as examples for their students to understand the concepts in their introductory courses. This particular guide uses the topic of climate change to aid students in understanding the concept of convergence as well as information funneling. The aim is that students create an understanding of the vital role of convergence and information funneling.
CONVERGENCE
Convergence in Media Studies is a broad term that refers to the interconnection of information and communication technologies, media content, and audiences in the digital age. It involves the blending of different media forms, platforms, genres, and industries, as well as the shifting of media production and consumption practices. For example, in the past you would have newspapers, magazines and TV-documentaries as separate entities with limited interaction. Today, due to the internet, these come together (converge) in one spot.
Convergence is not a single process, but a series of intersections between different media systems, each with its dynamics and implications. Convergence is not a new phenomenon, but a continuing evolution of media history and culture. Media convergence has been happening since the invention of writing, printing, photography, cinema, radio, television, and so on. Each new medium has influenced and transformed the existing media landscape, creating new possibilities and challenges for communication, information, and entertainment. Media convergence has become more rapid and complex in the current digital era. This is due to the digitization of media content, the popularization of the Internet, and the development of new media technologies.
However, convergence can also lead to the funneling of people towards the same sorts of information, meaning they are not exposed to contrasting viewpoints or stories, leading users ‘down a rabbit hole’. Currently, most of us are heavily dependent on a few big (social) media platforms (think TikTok, or Instagram). Their business model is to retain you as long as possible using algorithms that predict which type of information will most likely retain you. As a result, you often only see a subset of information, tailored to your specific browsing history. For example, if you have previously watched a lot of conspiracy theory content you might see content about flat earth theories. As a result, there is a risk of misinformation, polarisation, and manipulation, as individuals do not hear the complete story.
CLIMATE CHANGE
The main sustainability concept for this teaching guide is Climate Change. Climate Change refers to long-term shifts in the typical weather patterns that characterise Earth’s local, regional, and global climates. These changes, which encompass a wide range of observed effects, are driven primarily by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. This action increases the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, resulting in a rise in Earth’s average surface temperature. Natural processes, such as El Niño circulations, also play a role, but are much smaller than human driven climate change.
Scientists use observations from ground-based, airborne, and space-based platforms, in combination with computer models, to monitor and analyze past, present, and future climate changes. The result is a clear picture of different climatic changes from rising global land and ocean temperatures, to increasing sea levels and extreme weather. Climate change impacts many areas of our lives including health, food production, housing, safety, and employment. Climate Change is the biggest challenge of our and future generations.
For ease, we have developed several videos that provide basic information on these issues which can be assigned to students. These videos explain the following:
Local Actions Videos
CONNECTING THE DOTS
This lesson plan will specifically focus on climate change. Climate change is widely covered in the media landscape. Yet, the topic is also the cause of intense debate, often due to the influence of vested interests and targeted misinformation campaigns. Indeed, work finds that the majority of the top 200 YouTube videos on climate were climate denial videos. ‘Echo chambers’ have led to very seperate experiences of climate change information, depending on the personalisation of search results. Strong opinions on climate change influence many other issues, like the role of activism of groups such as Extinction Rebellion, or the accuracy of communicators such as Al Gore.
LOCAL ACTION AND IN CLASS ACTIVITES
NOTE: See more detailed instructions in the download section above.
- Have students speak to a family member, friend or colleague outside of the study about climate change. The aim is to find out about their sources for information on climate change – is it television, newspapers, social media etc.? Explore what sort of information is delivered in the media they consume.
- Students write a reflection consisting of a short summary of the person they spoke with, an analysis of their thoughts on climate change and a personal reflection on how the conversation went.
- In pairs, open a social media outlet of choice on your cell phone (TikTok, Insta).
- Come up with a few search terms that you both will type into the app
- Compare what comes out. Is this similar? Are there differences?
- Relate this to the concept of convergence and information funneling
RESOURCES
Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In J. Kuhl & J. Beckman (Eds.), Action-control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11–39). Heidelberg: Springer.
Arya, B., Chaturvedi, S. & Bhati, N.S. Extending the theory of planned behaviour to predict sustainable food consumption. Environ Dev Sustain (2024).
Müller J, Acevedo-Duque Á, Müller S, Kalia P, Mehmood K. Predictive Sustainability Model Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior Incorporating Ecological Conscience and Moral Obligation. Sustainability. 2021; 13(8):4248
Si H, Shi J-g, Tang D, Wen S, Miao W, Duan K. Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Environmental Science: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(15):2788
Iroegbu, A. O. C., Ray, S. S., Mbarane, V., Bordado, J. C., & Sardinha, J. P. (2021). Plastic pollution: A perspective on matters arising: Challenges and opportunities. ACS Omega, 6(30), 19343-19355