Engaging young people with ecocritical analysis of language in the media

Media reports that focus on human interaction with the natural world stimulate debate about how our behaviour impacts on the sustainability of life on Earth. Activists for change highlight crisis scenarios; and media reports, across all platforms, carry the news. Media studies courses that focused on traditional news now expand to address modern short-form or visual media that many young people consume. This chapter focuses on how individuals can be equipped to engage critically with eco-based news. In that context we explore what an eco-literate citizen should know and be able to do. The principles that underpin a pedagogical framework are highlighted, and examples from teachers’ classroom experience illustrate how pupils might be introduced to critical analysis of eco-news in cross-curricular settings. The importance and challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration are discussed.