Air pollution online : Everyday environmental information on the social media site Sina Weibo
(2018) In Journal of Documentation 74(4). p.722-740- Abstract
- Purpose: This study explores how information on air pollution is shaped online on an everyday basis, with a particular emphasis on digital devices and digital representations as constitutive of environmental information practices. Furthermore, this research highlights an understudied aspect of air pollution – the digital flow of multimodal representations that citizens encounter and produce in their everyday life.
Design/Methodology: The information gathering was carried out on an everyday basis during Feb-Mar, 2017. The study is based on 403 microblog posts from the social media site Sina Weibo, and netnographic fieldwork, including observation of news, advertisements and diary writing. The collected data was mapped in clusters based... (More) - Purpose: This study explores how information on air pollution is shaped online on an everyday basis, with a particular emphasis on digital devices and digital representations as constitutive of environmental information practices. Furthermore, this research highlights an understudied aspect of air pollution – the digital flow of multimodal representations that citizens encounter and produce in their everyday life.
Design/Methodology: The information gathering was carried out on an everyday basis during Feb-Mar, 2017. The study is based on 403 microblog posts from the social media site Sina Weibo, and netnographic fieldwork, including observation of news, advertisements and diary writing. The collected data was mapped in clusters based on the interrelations of objects, agents, and activities, and analysed in depth using qualitative multimodal analysis.
Findings: Information enacted through specific socio-materialist configurations depicts air pollution as self-contained and separated from human action. Air quality apps are central in connecting a wider nexus of representations and promoting such perceptions, illustrating the role of digital devices in an everyday information context.
Social Implications: The study reveals a schism between Chinese political environmental visions and everyday environmental information practices, which raises questions of how the battle against air pollution can be sustained in the long term.
Originality/Value: This study suggests that digital material aspects – inbuilt applications of digital devices and digital representations of objects – are interrelated with physical experiences of air pollution, and thus constitute elements of practice in their own right. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/7c4e56fd-6f73-4362-bfe9-5dd5ece8b3b8
- author
- Graminius, Carin LU and Haider, Jutta LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2018
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- digital materiality, air pollution, China, microblogs, everyday information practices
- in
- Journal of Documentation
- volume
- 74
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 722 - 740
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85046016049
- ISSN
- 0022-0418
- DOI
- 10.1108/JD-01-2018-0003
- project
- Knowledge in a Digital World: Trust, Credibility and Relevance on the Web
- Green Search
- Digital Cultures Research Node
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 7c4e56fd-6f73-4362-bfe9-5dd5ece8b3b8
- date added to LUP
- 2018-03-22 18:19:45
- date last changed
- 2024-01-14 17:08:09
@article{7c4e56fd-6f73-4362-bfe9-5dd5ece8b3b8,
abstract = {{Purpose: This study explores how information on air pollution is shaped online on an everyday basis, with a particular emphasis on digital devices and digital representations as constitutive of environmental information practices. Furthermore, this research highlights an understudied aspect of air pollution – the digital flow of multimodal representations that citizens encounter and produce in their everyday life.<br/>Design/Methodology: The information gathering was carried out on an everyday basis during Feb-Mar, 2017. The study is based on 403 microblog posts from the social media site Sina Weibo, and netnographic fieldwork, including observation of news, advertisements and diary writing. The collected data was mapped in clusters based on the interrelations of objects, agents, and activities, and analysed in depth using qualitative multimodal analysis. <br/>Findings: Information enacted through specific socio-materialist configurations depicts air pollution as self-contained and separated from human action. Air quality apps are central in connecting a wider nexus of representations and promoting such perceptions, illustrating the role of digital devices in an everyday information context. <br/>Social Implications: The study reveals a schism between Chinese political environmental visions and everyday environmental information practices, which raises questions of how the battle against air pollution can be sustained in the long term. <br/>Originality/Value: This study suggests that digital material aspects – inbuilt applications of digital devices and digital representations of objects – are interrelated with physical experiences of air pollution, and thus constitute elements of practice in their own right.}},
author = {{Graminius, Carin and Haider, Jutta}},
issn = {{0022-0418}},
keywords = {{digital materiality; air pollution; China; microblogs; everyday information practices}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{722--740}},
publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
series = {{Journal of Documentation}},
title = {{Air pollution online : Everyday environmental information on the social media site Sina Weibo}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JD-01-2018-0003}},
doi = {{10.1108/JD-01-2018-0003}},
volume = {{74}},
year = {{2018}},
}