Information et environnement : lorsque deux crises se rencontrent

Abstract

Information is a fundamental element of social life. It is important to define it and to inventory the rights that are supposed to protect it. However, the foundations of information production in advanced liberal societies are based on business principles that conflict with the ideals of free and quality information. The advances of Web 2.0 offer only limited compensatory avenues. The widespread digitization of societies, largely controlled by a few business empires, has created a funding crisis for traditional media. This media crisis unfolds within the context of an environmental imperative – an unprecedented challenge in human history: the Anthropocene. Although the media should be able to contribute to developing a reflective society capable of addressing this major issue, they are doomed to exacerbate the environmental crisis, due to the information they disseminate and their funding structures.