The Removal of the Environment: Time’s Symbolic Annihilation of Environmental Issues as Cover Stories

ABSTRACT This research analyzes 57 Time magazine covers focusing on the construction of various environmental issues throughout its 97-year publication history and the discourse they represent. Through qualitative content analysis techniques, the research ascertains that Time symbolically annihilates environmental issues in three ways: negativity as the norm, absence of specifics, and the lack of connection to humans. These themes result in a discourse and overall presentation of environmental issues as shallow and non-ameliorative. The implication of these findings, following cultivation theory, have significance for society as the content can reflect the current state of discourse as well as shape public understanding. Given the ubiquity of mass media, the way they present environmental issues provides a substantial source of information to describe the current discourse and the status of environmental issues in the public domain.