Journalism's Derek Moscato publishes new article in the Journal of Public Interest Communication

Derek Moscato, an assistant professor of journalism and public relations at Western Washington University, has published a new article in the Journal of Public Interest Communication. The study, “Clearcut Persuasion? Audience Cognition of Mediated Environmental Advertising through the Lens of the Elaboration Likelihood Model,” analyzed the outdoor billboard campaign by Oregon Wild to limit the practice of clearcut logging on Oregon’s publicly-owned lands. The campaign’s contentious advertisements, which were banned from Portland International Airport, garnered significant media coverage. Moscato’s research found that audiences considered themselves better informed of the clearcutting issue after exposure to news media coverage of the ads, even though affinity for the advocacy organization remained unchanged. Reputational impacts on the state were also identified. The research ultimately highlights the role of controversy within green advertising appeals, but also the unique mediating role of news media within environmental debates.  

The article is available at http://journals.fcla.edu/jpic/article/view/104702.