Thesis
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AS PORTRAYED IN CONSERVATIVE ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF HALLMARK MOVIES
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
05/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006610
Abstract
Science communication is a branch of communication that aims to decrease the divide between the public and scientific progress. One method for improving science communication would be to analyze how science is portrayed on an entertainment channel popular with a difficult-to-reach audience, such as the Hallmark Channel. This study sought to analyze how science and scientists, particularly those studying environmental science, were portrayed on the Hallmark Channel and whether or not viewers responded positively to those portrayals. This study reviewed, coded, and analyzed N = 198 scenes in 10-minute units from 22 Hallmark Original Movies from 2016 to 2023. The results of this study showed that 14 (63.6%) of the 22 films contained some form of STEM, and 10 films (45.5%) contained an Environmental Conflict. Of those 10 films, only 8 (80%) of the solutions to the environmental conflicts made sense, and of those 8 films, 6 (75%) took place in Fictional Locations. Female and male scientist characters were portrayed positively, with Female Scientist characters showing career competence in 77% of situations. Films with the highest viewership statistics were Christmas films from 2016-2018, and non-Christmas films and films made after 2020 have lower viewer statistics. Hallmark viewers respond positively to seeing their favorite actors, but it is unclear if they prefer certain romantic tropes or other storytelling elements. This research shows there is room for environmental storylines within entertainment media, and there may be ways to present those storylines to appeal to Hallmark’s audience.
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Details
- Title
- ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AS PORTRAYED IN CONSERVATIVE ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA
- Creators
- Alexandra Elenitsa Fil
- Contributors
- Erica Austin (Advisor)Stacey Hust (Committee Member)Nicole O'Donnell (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 84
- Identifiers
- 99901125140501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis