Comments on this example:
Training and educational initiatives:
Apart from reporting environmental conditions and launching campaigns, Environmental Watch could produce environmental education TV programs. Advantages are that the message would be more interesting-compared to reading books-and a large group of audience could be reached at one time. Suggested programs, for example, how to reuse household goods, how to conserve energy at a domestic scale, how to reduce carbon emission and so on.
Although, one point that should be considered, is the media should not become a tool for the government to create propoganda. It should remain as an independent institution.
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Sustainability of the project:
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Awareness and visions:
This example shows how the media plays a critical role in promoting environmental awareness to the people and local authorities. The media has always been admired for its power to influence minds, but in the case of Environmental Watch, people are being influenced in a positive way.
Therefore, a well-organized media campaign should be considered as a prerequisite in the environmental conservation process. In certain instances the media may have to be given training and be motivated to play a progressive role, rather than a destructive role as in most cases.
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Adaptability of the project to other situations:
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Many countries have adopted media campaigns as a way to stimulate public involvement in sustainable development. The results have been impressive. See also
Tonga's Environmental Awareness Week
| Process of decision making and implementation: |
One point of consideration when using the media as means to reach the public to create environmental awareness is that this system requires supporting structures i.e. media signal transmitters and receivers. If the majority of target households do not have access to either TV radio or newspapers then there is no point in using the media. However, in some countries, villages with zero household access to TV have been successful in using long distance education systems via satellite TV programs. Each village has a center (normally village schools) where villagers could have access to TV programs there. Educational programs also help solve the problem of shortage of school teachers.
Procedures for feedback and review: Programmes for feedback and review in this kind of media campaign would remain as a challenge to reflect the real public interest in certain issues. However, non is mentioned in the context.
Cost efficient:
The cost of creating environmental awareness media programs will certainly be high if you look at the book value, because there will be costs incurred from traveling, filming, producing the programs, transmitting the programs, and etc. However, if you calculate the average cost per number of viewers, the it will be significantly low, because the programs have reached so many viewers throughout the nation.
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