Categorizing Professionals’ Perspectives on Environmental Communication with Implications for Graduate Education

Karen L. Akerlofa* , Taryn Bromser-Kloedena, Kristin Timmb , Katherine E. Rowanb , James L. Oldsc , Chris Clarkeb, Elizabeth Ban Rohringd , Emily Therese Cloyde , K. Curranf, Elizabeth C. Duesterhoeftg, Mahmud Farooqueh , Erica Goldmani, Lisa Gring-Pemblej, Stephanie E. Hamptonk , Sojung Claire Kimb , John Kotcherb , Darren Milliganl , Carlos L. Muñoz Brenesm , Cynthia Sandovaln, Dann Sklarewa , Cynthia Smitha , Elizabeth Suhayo , David Tomblinp , Crystal Uppermanq, Andrew Wingfieldr & Xiaoquan Zhaoba Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USAb Department of Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USAc Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USAd NOAA Sea Grant, Silver Spring, MD, USAe American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, USAf The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC, USAg Department of English, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USAh School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Washington, DC, USAi National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington, DC, USAj School of Business, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USAk Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USAl Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, Washington, DC, USAm Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USAn NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, Silver Spring, MD, USAo Department of Government, American University, Washington, DC, USAp Science, Technology and Society, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USAq World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, USAr School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USACONTACT Karen L. Akerlof kakerlof@gmu.edu Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., MS 5F2 Fairfax, VA 22030The views and opinions expressed in the interviews, survey, and workshop are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of their organizations.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2020.1862890ABSTRACTThe study of environmental communication originated as a diverse multidisciplinary field encompassing a wide array of communicator perspectives. However, as the field evolved, mass media and journalism became its perceived scholarly focus. As a result, environmental communication processes may be less well-understood across other settings, such as scientific and research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and federal agencies. To understand how communicators describe their goals, ethics, and strategies within these contexts, we conducted a three-part study of researchers and practitioners working on environmental issues in the Washington, DC, region between October 2019 and January 2020. Employing Q methodology, we identified four distinct perspectives: capacity-builders, translators, policy and decision-supporters, and cultural changemakers. Each of these perspectives is associated with a different range of goals, ethics, and strategic approaches. We describe graduate educational competencies for each of the perspectives and discuss implications for the design of communication research to meet practitioners’ needs.