Communication Under Pressure: Analyzing The International Whaling Conference As A Transnational Public Sphere

Abstract

Whaling has become one of the most popular international issues of our time. At the center of this controversy, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is positioned to conserve and manage whaling policy. Annual reports of the IWC were analyzed along with communication theories for a textual analysis approach to the issue. The USA, Japan and Norway are often the center of the heated dialogue, which takes up time and limits reaching consensus or productive policy change. This research aims at understanding this conference and examining where tensions flair and what can be done to enhance our communication in this ever globalizing community.