Table Of ContentParticipatory Media in
Environmental Communication
Participatory Media in Environmental Communication brings together
stories of communities in the Pacific Islands – a region that is severely
affected by the impacts of climate change. Despite living on the
margins of the digital revolution, these island communities have used
media and communication to create awareness of and find solutions
to environmental challenges. By telling their stories in their own way,
ordinary people are able to communicate compelling accounts of how
different, but interrelated, environmental, political and economic
issues converge and impact at a local level.
This book fills a significant gap in our understanding of how
participatory media is used as a dialogic tool to raise awareness and
facilitate discussion of environmental issues that are now critical.
It includes a section on pedagogy and practice – the undergirding
principles, the tools, the methods. The book offers a framework
for Participatory Environmental Communication that weaves three
widely used concepts, diversity, network and agency, into a cohesive
underlying system to bring scholars, practitioners and diverse
communities together in a dialogue about pressing environmental
issues.
This book is a valuable resource for researchers and students in
communication and media studies, environmental communication,
cultural studies, and environmental sciences, as well as practitioners,
policy makers and environmental activists.
Usha Sundar Harris is an academic in the Department of Media,
Music, Communication and Cultural Studies at Macquarie University,
Australia.
Routledge Studies in Environmental
Communication and Media
Environmental Communication and Critical Coastal Policy
Communities, Culture and Nature
Kerrie Foxwell-Norton
Climate Change and Post-Political Communication
Media, Emotion and Environmental Advocacy
Philip Hammond
The Discourses of Environmental Collapse
Imagining the End
Edited by Alison E. Vogelaar, Brack W. Hale and Alexandra Peat
Environmental Management of the Media
Policy, Industry, Practice
Pietari Kääpä
Participatory Networks and the Environment
The BGreen Project in the US and Bangladesh
Fadia Hasan
Participatory Media in Environmental Communication
Engaging Communities in the Periphery
Usha Harris
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
Routledge-Studies-in-Environmental-Communication-and-Media/
book-series/RSECM
Participatory Media in
Environmental Communication
Engaging Communities in the
Periphery
Usha Sundar Harris
First published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2019 Usha Sundar Harris
The right of Usha Sundar Harris to be identified as author
of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-138-65528-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-62257-6 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
To the people of the Pacific Islands for their
generosity and resourcefulness in the face of
mounting natural disasters.
Contents
List of illustrations viii
Acknowledgements ix
List of abbreviations xi
PART I
Theory in practice 1
1 Who is telling our stories? 3
2 Participatory environmental communication:
a conceptual framework 28
3 Participatory media: pedagogy and practice 59
PART II
Bringing Pacific Island perspectives 91
4 Dialogic encounters: listening to people’s stories 93
5 Engaging communities in environmental
communication 121
6 Community informatics and the power of
participation 147
7 Who is listening? 165
Index 174
Illustrations
Figures
2.1 The DNA framework and its attributes 36
3.1 Kiribati Climate Action Network members use
smartphones at a participatory media workshop 73
4.1 Map of Pacific Islands region showing the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary for each country 95
4.2 Maria Tekaie at Tebontebike, Abaiang Island 97
Tables
2.1 DNA essentials 37
3.1 Diversity matrix 69
3.2 Participatory communication flows 71
3.3 The production process 77
3.4 Evaluating participatory media process using the
DNA framework 82
4.1 Maria’s functionings 100
Case studies
2.1 Women’s water dance 49
3.1 Wan Smolbag community theatre 64
3.2 Andra Island climate change adaptation 74
3.3 Community radio-based disaster risk reduction in
North Sumatra 83
6.1 Papuan Voices 152
List of boxes
4.1 Country Profile – Kiribati 96
4.2 Country Profile – Fiji 104
4.3 Country Profile – Vanuatu 107
Acknowledgements
In a project such as this, many people are deserving of my great appre-
ciation. I owe debts of gratitude to many in the Pacific, all of whom
have demonstrated grace and generosity in opening their homes and
communities to me and sharing their wisdom and knowledge that has
informed the contents of this book. They have taught me the values
of reciprocity, goodwill and community networking. Particular appre-
ciation is extended to Rex Thomas in Vanuatu, Rommel Sharma in
Fiji, Claire Antarea in Kiribati and the dedicated staff at Pacific Call-
ing Partnership for introducing me to community organisations and
decision-makers.
I would like to acknowledge the support of Pacific Journalism
Review and editor David Robie for publishing an earlier version of
chapter three titled “Engaging Communities in Environmental Com-
munication”. Similarly, chapter six is a revised version of an article
published in the special issue of Information Technologies & Inter-
national Development co-authored with Evangelia Papoutsaki and
Sandra Kailahi.
The book has greatly benefitted from advice and feedback provided
by Evangelia Papoutsaki. She has been a true friend and mentor over
the years. My immense appreciation to Mehdi Azam, my research
assistant, who dedicated many hours creating and cross-checking ref-
erences, conducting literature search and providing assistance with
layout. Thank you to various others who have assisted in the draft and
production process: my colleague Nicole Matthews for her comments
on the chapter two draft; Annabelle Harris and Matt Shobbrook at
Routledge, for their persistence and patience in guiding the project;
Macquarie University Faculty of Arts for the mid-career grant which
funded teaching buyout and a research assistant.
Gratitude is due to my family for their absolute support and belief in
me. Reg Harris, my husband and greatest supporter, for the long hours
