ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the early origins of scholarship on news production and environmental issues and examines how new theoretical models and methodological approaches have emerged as the relationship between news sources and journalists has changed over time and become increasingly blurred. In the digital age of ‘fake news’ and misinformation, the relationship between news sources and journalists covering the environment has become far more complex with a greater diversity of voices and strategic PR communication. The power dynamics have shifted towards sources being more able to bypass traditional gatekeepers. The chapter reveals how attention to uncovering behind-the-scenes attempts by news sources to influence media reporting and public perception of environmental issues is critical for understanding the broader politics of environmental news.
