"A Burning Question"

            Ok so we all know what global warming is (the gradual increase of temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and oceans) well, if you didn’t now you do. But, do we REALLY know what damaging effects it will have and what is has already caused? Communication is crucial to improving public understanding of environmental problems. Media and Public Relations play a huge role in the publics knowledge and opinion on global warming. Unfortunately the topic of global warming can sometimes shine a bad light on public relations practitioners, and skew our opinions on the issue. This was brought to my attention in the documentation, “A Burning Question”.  This is where ethics and public relations come into play.

            The documentation focuses on Ireland, with opinions and insights from “experts”, “scientists”, “leaders”, basically anyone they could find with someone of a bragging right title. The problem is the media’s attempt to give both sides of this global warming debate. Too many people are left with the “50/50” impression, and therefore are not concerned with global warming at all.  The documentation showed so many differing messages and what people are predicting, that people stop listening. I found that many people interviewed had the attitude of, “well it hasn’t affected me in any way and will not affect me, so I don’t care” or they’ve heard global warming is fake and out of our control. Many companies and organizations that might do things that pose as a threat for global warming, promote the idea that global warming is not real, thus creating that 50/50 idea in our heads.  It is that company’s public relation practitioner’s job to cause that doubt in our opinions.

            This documentation is just another example of how the media and public relations play such a large role in the opinion of their publics. It also brings attention to how important ethics is in every aspect of public relations. It leaves the question; How far is too far in hopes to change an opinion?