Pressing issues: Setting a sustainability agenda through media coverage of green science museums

When museums commission green buildings, those buildings are often covered in the press. To understand the educational potential of green building press coverage, we qualitatively analyzed 96 articles about eight U.S. green science museums. We found that journalists who cover green buildings highlight green roofs, material choices, site/landscaping, and plant choices most often. Additionally, analyses showed that green building coverage catalyzed discussion of broader sustainability issues such as ecosystems, climate change, and water issues. Press coverage of sustainable architecture sets an agenda of sustainability and contributes to the larger aim of public science education.