Wow, what a journey this has been, we have reached my final post. :’) Before I wrap things up and reflect on this experience, I would like to write a bit about podcasts. I wasn’t planning to blog about this but I stumbled across this podcast by Friends of the Earth that talks about environmental topics like race & climate, I listened to 2 episodes and found it pretty informative. Curious if there were more similar podcasts, I googled for environmental podcasts and found this list!

Podcasts are a growing form of new media. In a poll I did on Instagram, 31 out of 72 voters listen to podcasts, this shows that podcasts are quite popular.

Podcasts have many advantages over traditional media. Podcasts are convenient as they can be downloaded and listened to offline while commuting, doing housework, exercising etc. Podcasts have the ability to connect more closely with audiences. They often involve casual yet informative discussions (some with professionals), allowing listeners to learn about a topic in a light-hearted manner. I believe for most of us, it would be easier to understand complex topics by listening to someone explain them rather than reading long texts.

I also want to bring up how media exacerbates the issue of “eco-anxiety”. Being bombarded with news about environmental issues from media can make us feel overwhelmed and discourage us from taking action. Maybe we should cut back on being too negative when communicating environmental issues? In fact, research has shown how humor is effective in getting people to think and learn about climate change. (an interesting read!)

Over the past few weeks, we have explored the effectiveness of social media, online news outlets and videos in spreading environmental awareness and encouraging action. We also looked at the problems of digital media, such as the spread of misinformation & disinformation and media bias and how they affect the environmental crisis. There is still much to be explored on this topic but sadly, all good things must come to an end.

I started this blog with the aim of developing my critical thinking skills and becoming better at analyzing my sources of information. Well, I definitely can’t say that I’m an expert at those things now but I’ve definitely improved and learnt a lot through this experience. One part I really enjoyed was doing primary research and I’ve learnt useful skills such as how to phrase my questions to avoid skewing responses. I’m now more cautious of the information I see on media, my news sources and developed the habit to fact-check.

Media is playing an increasingly huge role in spreading environmental awareness and inciting change & action. It is important for us to understand how media can influence our perceptions and actions, and learn to be more conscious when consuming media. It is my hope that media literacy will be taught in schools earlier on, as students are exposed to the media from a young age, it is important for them to be aware of the risks and learn how to evaluate their sources. Digital media has great power and if harnessed properly, it will be useful in our fight against the environmental crisis.

Thank you for joining me on this journey and I hope you have learnt something from my blog! :’)