Publication Date

Fall 1987

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Journalism and Mass Communications

Advisor

Serena Stanford

Abstract

The critical ecological situation we find in the developing world today can be addressed by a two-part program which protects resources now through preserves and in the future through education.

This thesis reviews some basic principles and theories which apply to the successful execution of media campaigns and then offers a proposal for a comprehensive environmental education campaign for developing countries. The components of this proposal were developed by the author over a three-year period in Honduras, Central America. The lessons learned and some of the Materials developed during this time were used for this thesis in ten randomly selected schools in and around Tegucigalpa, the capitol city of Honduras. Two experiments were done over a one year period to evaluate the effects that combining media and formal education have on attitudes and knowledge about environmental topics. The schools used were located in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas.

The two experiments performed for this thesis support as a major finding the concept that although general media use has no effect on attitudes and knowledge related to environmental topics, a media program coordinated with formal education shows potential for effective environmental education in developing countries.

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