Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School You Belong among the Wildlowers... Unless You're an Instagrammer: The Political Economy of the Instagram Effect iMnich etlhle Gera Nce Perewsleys Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION YOU BELONG AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS... UNLESS YOU’RE AN INSTAGRAMMER: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE INSTAGRAM EFFECT IN THE NEWS By MICHELLE PRESLEY A Thesis submitted to the School of Communication in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2020 Michelle Presley defended this thesis on April 6, 2020. The members of the supervisory committee were: Jennifer Proffitt Professor Directing Thesis Andy Opel Committee Member Brian Graves Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For my husband, Troy. And for those vast, quiet corners of the world, the wildernesses large and small, that I have had the privilege of exploring. From the salty mangroves of my Florida home to the pinon forests of my beloved high desert, these wild slices have had a hand in shaping everything I am. To these lands and the indigenous hands that have cared for them since time immemorial – thank you from the bottom of my heart. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Words cannot express my gratitude for the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Proffitt. This project would not have been possible without her feedback and guidance and I am so thankful for her support throughout writing this thesis and in my master’s career. I am also thankful for the contributions of my committee members, Dr. Andy Opel and Dr. Brian Graves and the time spent by all of my committee members reading and offering their valuable feedback for my work. I also wish to acknowledge the faculty and friends in the Communication department that have shaped my education and growth and the students I have had the privilege of teaching over these years. And to my Sustainable Campus and Outdoor Pursuits families, for all of the ways you have molded and shaped me personally and professionally – thank you. Also, it would be a shame not to acknowledge the wonderful people at Fermentation Lounge who have kept my glass and heart full while I worked on this project. Finally, I remain humbled and grateful for the unwavering support of my family – the people I love most in this world. To my mother, Tracy, my father, Lee, and my brother and sister, Matthew and Brittany, thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and always being on the other end of the phone. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... viii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ix 1. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 The Problem at Hand & the Wilderness Question ......................................................................... 5 Why Political Economy ................................................................................................................... 7 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................... 8 Why Instagram ................................................................................................................................ 9 Wilderness and Communication: A Convergence ........................................................................ 13 The Purpose of This Study ............................................................................................................ 15 2. CHAPTER TWO: HISTORICAL ORIGINS ........................................................................... 20 Historical Beginnings: Wilderness Explored ................................................................................ 21 A Call for Wilderness Preservation ............................................................................................... 26 Wilderness Legislated ................................................................................................................... 27 Wilderness Becomes Public Land: Parks vs. People ..................................................................... 31 Wilderness 2.0 ............................................................................................................................... 42 Loved to Death in the 21st Century: The Importance of News ...................................................... 46 3. CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND METHODOLOGY ............. 48 Key Terms: Ideology, Neoliberalism, Commercialization, and Commodification ....................... 48 Political Economy of Media: A Theory and a Method ................................................................. 52 Political Economy of Journalism ................................................................................................... 54 Techno-optimism: Can the Internet Save the News ...................................................................... 60 Environmental Issues in the Media ............................................................................................... 64 Maxwell’s Media Studies .............................................................................................................. 67 Critical Textual Analysis ............................................................................................................... 69 Methods ......................................................................................................................................... 70 4. CHAPTER FOUR: THE NAME OF THE GAME: DEREGULATION .................................. 74 Trump Era Controversy: Chaos in the Org Charts ........................................................................ 75 Inside the Department of the Interior: Deferred Maintenance, Funding Shortages, and Conflicts of Interest ........................................................................................................................................... 84 Inside the Department of Agriculture & the Forest Service .......................................................... 96 The Instagram Problem? ................................................................................................................ 98 Hemorrhaging Money: Instagram and Commercial Photo Permits ............................................ 106 Can the Outdoor Industry Save Public Lands? ............................................................................ 111 v 5. CHAPTER FIVE: THE INFLUENCE OF OWNERSHIP AND ADVERTISING ON IDEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................ 120 National News Outlets ................................................................................................................. 122 Local News .................................................................................................................................. 134 Public Media ................................................................................................................................ 137 Digital News ................................................................................................................................ 139 Niche News ................................................................................................................................. 142 Alternative News ......................................................................................................................... 148 Ideological Influence of Ownership & Support Structures ......................................................... 149 National Press .............................................................................................................................. 150 Local News .................................................................................................................................. 155 Public Media ................................................................................................................................ 162 Digital News ................................................................................................................................ 165 Niche News ................................................................................................................................. 169 Alternative News: Content Versus Structure .............................................................................. 172 Modes of Production and Ideology ............................................................................................. 174 6. CHAPTER SIX: THE IMPACT OF SOURCING CHOICES ON TRUTH CLAIMS IN THE NEWS .......................................................................................................................................... 176 Government Sources ................................................................................................................... 178 Tourism Professionals ................................................................................................................