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Perceiving environmental science, risk and industry regulation in the mediatised vicious cycles of the Tasmanian salmon aquaculture industry

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 20:36 authored by Coco Cullen-KnoxCoco Cullen-Knox, Aysha FlemingAysha Fleming, Elizabeth Lester, Emily OgierEmily Ogier
This paper examines public conflict over the rapid growth of the Tasmanian salmon aquaculture industry and associated environmental and social impacts. By conducting a media analysis, triangulated with key stakeholder interviews, we find news media discourse was predominantly framed by environmental risk, expansion of the industry and the in/effectiveness of Government regulation. Environmental science and community interests were conflated within these themes, leading to a perceived lack of transparency and loss of trust in both environmental science information and regulation of environmental impacts. Government, salmon companies and science institutions were the most frequently mentioned stakeholder groups within news media, suggesting they had power to facilitate virtuous cycles – that is, shared goals and language. However, these stakeholder groups were portrayed to be outwardly opaque in their communications of, and lacking engagement in, decision-making processes. By revealing how science, societal values and decision-making were negotiated in news media through this conflict, we hope to contribute to understanding of how vicious and virtuous cycles are facilitated by various stakeholders and within media.

Funding

Australian Research Council

History

Publication title

Social Epistemology

Volume

35

Issue

5

Pagination

441-460

ISSN

0269-1728

Department/School

School of Creative Arts and Media

Publisher

Routledge

Place of publication

UK

Rights statement

© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna)

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