Communication Behavior by Environmental Activists Compared to Non-Active Persons

Research was initiated to test the general assumption in the environmental literature that those who are most concerned, knowledgeable, and active about the environment tend to use specialized media rather than the mass media for information. Surveys and questionnaires were used to collect data from activists and non-activists. Data from a random sample survey in Wisconsin indicate that environmental activists do not differ from the non-active respondents in habitual mass media use, except in magazine use in wanting to find out more about important environmental issues.