Environmental content in prime-time network TV's non-news entertainment and fictional programs

Thirty years after the first Earth Day celebration, how integrated are envi ronmental values in everyday American life? One measure of integration is h ow often environmental topics are incorporated into the programs of televis ion, today's most visible storyteller. This study offers results from an on going content analysis tracking television's attention to the environment i n prime-time, network, non-news entertainment and fictional programs. The r esults indicate a decreasing amount of attention given to environmental top ics during annually sampled weeks over 6 years. When present, environmental topics occur more often during programs having nature themes, which are re latively infrequent, than during programs having home and family or law enf orcement themes, which are much more common. The conclusions suggest that, despite some noteworthy exceptions, environmental topics are largely absent from U.S. television's prime-time network non-news entertainment and ficti onal programs.