Abstract
Global environmental problems, such as global warming, must be solved by means of global communication; therefore it is necessary to promote sustainable development on a global scale. After the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 environmental journalism began to develop, and 24 years later, in 2016, Rio de Janeiro again became the centre of the Earth. The media from around the world broadcast for the global audience the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, full of environmental messages, under the motto “let’s save the planet!”.
This chapter presents a short historical outline of the relationship between media and environment and a study of the global media coverage of the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games. Thirty news articles, published in 30 different newspapers (online) from different countries, reporting the opening ceremony, were analysed to answer the question: how important were environmental issues and the promotion of sustainable development in the global media coverage of the opening ceremony of this global media event, watched by millions of people around the world?
Keywords
- Earth Summit
- Global communication
- Rio 2016 Olympic Games
- Sustainable development
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List of the Analysed Press Articles
A Gilded Olympics Begin with the Opening Ceremony in Gritty Rio. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/06/sports/olympics/summer-games-opening-ceremony-rio.html
Brazil Invokes History, Favelas in a Stunning Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.hindustantimes.com/olympics/brazil-invokes-history-favelas-in-a-stunning-rio-2016-opening-ceremony/story-P9xUhtkP8UOdgV897KtNhO.html
Ceremonia otwarcia igrzysk. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.rp.pl/Rio-2016/160809468-Ceremonia-otwarcia-igrzysk.html#ap-1
Del homenaje a Santos Dumont a la historia de Brasil: El podio de las mejores fotos del inicio de los JJ.OO. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.emol.com/noticias/Deportes/2016/08/06/816042/Del-homenaje-a-Santos-Dumont-al-repaso-a-la-historia-de-Brasil-El-podio-de-las-mejores-fotos-de-la-inauguracion-de-los-JJOO.html
El pebetero olímpico ya está encendido, ¡que empiecen los Juegos!. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from http://www.eltiempo.com/deportes/otros-deportes/el-pebetero-olimpico-ya-esta-encendido-que-empiecen-los-juegos-49349
En marcha la fiesta olímpica de Río 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from http://www.eluniversal.com/noticias/rio-2016/marcha-fiesta-olimpica-rio-2016_430491
Fiesta verdeamarelha en la ceremonia de inauguración de los Juegos Olímpicos. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from http://www.eluniverso.com/deportes/2016/08/05/nota/5726904/ceremonia-inauguracion-juegos-olimpicos-rio-2016-vivo
First Green, Now Gold: The Climate Changes in Rio. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.theage.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/first-green-now-gold-the-climate-changes-in-rio-20160806-gqmhy8.html
Glittering Ceremony Launches Rio Games. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from https://guardian.ng/sport/olympics-glittering-ceremony-launches-rio-games/
Inauguración Río 2016: revive la espectacular ceremonia. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://elcomercio.pe/deporte-total/inauguracion-rio-2016-revive-espectacular-ceremonia-431729
Jogos do Rio abriram em grande. Agora têm a palavra os atletas. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.dn.pt/desporto/rio-2016/interior/siga-aqui-a-cerimonia-de-abertura-dos-jogos-olimpicos-5324217.html
Le stade de Maracanã vibre au rythme d’une cérémonie colorée. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.ledevoir.com/sports/actualites-sportives/477198/le-stade-maracana-vibre-au-rythme-d-une-ceremonie-coloree
Les dix imagesqu’il ne fallait pas louper de la cérémonie d’ouverture de JO 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://plus.lesoir.be/53587/article/2016-08-06/les-dix-images-quil-ne-fallait-pas-louper-de-la-ceremonie-douverture-des-jo-2016
Les quinze images de la cérémonie qu’il ne fallait pas manquer. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://sport24.lefigaro.fr/le-scan-sport/2016/08/06/27001-20160806ARTFIG00008-les-quinze-images-de-la-ceremonie-qu-il-ne-fallait-pas-manquer.php
Música, arte y ecologismo en inauguración de Juegos. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from http://www.abc.com.py/internacionales/musica-arte-y-ecologismo-en-inauguracion-de-rio-2016-1505952.html
Noche carioca para una fiesta mundial. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from http://www.granma.cu/deportes/2016-08-05/noche-carioca-para-una-fiesta-mundial-fotos
Olimpiade di tutti. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.osservatoreromano.va/it/news/olimpiade-di-tutti
Olimpiadi di Rio 2016, via ai Giochi Samba e colori, la grande festa «Non c’è posto migliore del Brasile». Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.corriere.it/sport/olimpiadi-2016-rio/notizie/olimpiadi-rio-2016-via-giochi-samba-colori-grande-festa-foto-non-c-posto-migliore-brasile-60f8b3a6-5b95-11e6-bfed-33aa6b5e1635.shtml?refresh_ce-cp
Río 2016: “El mejor lugar del mundo es aquí y ahora”, ese himno brasileño de Gilberto Gil que se hizo realidad en el Maracaná. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1925460-rio-2016-el-mejor-lugar-del-mundo-es-aqui-y-ahora-ese-himno-brasileno-de-gilberto-gil-que-se-hizo-realidad-en-el-maracana
Rio celebra diversidade e passa mensagem de esperança na abertura dos Jogos na Maracanã. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from https://oglobo.globo.com/esportes/rio-celebra-diversidade-passa-mensagem-de-esperanca-na-abertura-dos-jogos-no-maracana-19866473
Río de Janeiro acoge al mundo. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/deportes/mas-deportes/2016/08/6/rio-de-janeiro-acoge-al-mundo
Rio Kicks Off Olympic Opening Ceremony. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/sports/30292293
Rio Leads the World in Glitzy Samba Party at Gala Olympic Parade. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.independent.ie/sport/rio-2016-olympics/rio-leads-the-world-in-glitzy-samba-party-at-gala-olympic-parade-34943322.html
Rio Olympics Open with Ceremony Focused on Environment. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/08/06/olympics/summer-olympics/rio-olympics-open-ceremony-focused-environment/
Rio Olympics 2016 Opening Ceremony Kicks Off with a Vibrant Bang—and Unfortunate Reminders of Troubled Backdrop to the Games. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2016/08/05/olympics-opening-ceremony-for-rio-2016-live/
Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony Highlights Brazil, Environment. Retrieved August 5, 2016, from http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsRio/236984.aspx
Rio Opens Olympics with Colors, Curves and Coolness. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2016rioolympics/2016-08/06/content_26367013.htm
Rio ouvre les Jeux, sans cérémonie. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from https://www.letemps.ch/sport/2016/08/06/rio-ouvre-jeux-ceremonie
Rio Welcomes World with Sultry Music, Plea for Conservation. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/08/06/rio-welcomes-world-with-sultry-music-plea-for-conservation.html
Una ceremonia sostenible entre la selva de atletas. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from http://www.elmundo.es/deportes/2016/08/06/57a5397eca4741a6118b45f3.html
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Sajna-Kunowsky, R. (2021). Global Communication and Sustainable Development: From the Earth Summit in Rio 1992 to the Olympic Games in Rio 2016. In: Yusha’u, M.J., Servaes, J. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of International Communication and Sustainable Development. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69770-9_21
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