Framing Weyerhaeuser

(By Sadie W.)

Because they are such a massive corporation around the world, and happen to be based in our Pacific Northwest, Weyerhaeuser will be the focus example for logging companies and the framing for and against them.

Who frames Weyerhaeuser in the media and why?

People for the Environment vs. Weyerhaeuser and friends:


Weyerhaeuser:
Weyerhaeuser calls themselves a “forest products company.” This name has quite a different effect than just “logging company” would. Using “forest products company” makes it sound like the forest is just naturally producing something for them to take, not that they are hurting the forest or leaving nothing behind once that have taken their “products”. This is one of the small ways (but one of the first things you see on their website (http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/))that Weyerhaeuser frames themselves to look more innocent, more environmentally friendly, and more concerned about communities and the future than they really are. Other things you see on the Weyerhaeuser home page include,
“Making the Most of our Resources”
“Sustainability” (can be found 5 times on the home page) and
“Can a tree cure cancer? Clothe you? Fuel your car?” (Because then it would be okay to deforest our backyards and the whole world?)
Weyerhaeuser is adamant to prove that they are not hurting the environment as all the activists claim. The main way Weyerhaeuser frames themselves to the public as being a good, helpful, wholesome, concerned company is through commercials on TV. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vapmz0MaEs

Weyerhaeuser is hoping people will look at the cute innocent children and view the company as nurturing and caring, as well as think that it’s okay to cut down millions of acres of local forest as well as precious rainforests all over the world, as long as everyone recycles (cause that is gonna happen). There are other, more current, commercials that talk about replanting of trees and secret new innovative ideas for wood. Key words: talk about.

But, as always, there are two sides to every story, and the other side is willing to do more than just talk….

Environment Lovers Everywhere:

The environmental activists against Weyerhaeuser don’t go about their framing as peaceful and serene and some of the Weyerhaeuser commercials appear. The activists are mad about the logging and its harmful effects on the environment, and therefore the people and animals that inhabit this environment. There are documented land and mudslides that give fault to Weyerhaeuser logging sites, ruining people’s homes, farmland, as well as clogging up rivers and streams and polluting them. (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011140187_forestcetification21m.html) Future blogs will go more deeply into the endangered species (from the PNW) further hurt and homeless because of the Weyerhaeuser deforestation, like many owls, wolves, and caribou. There are many people as well, around the world but specifically in the PNW as well, who depend on forests for survival. (http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/harmful-effects-of-deforestation-131219.html)

The fact that deforestation has risen 8.5% in the last five years, shows that logging companies really aren’t that concerned, and make environmental activists become very upset, and take action in framing companies like Weyerhaeuser as the bad guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3MVqGyaz5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_t86w3TTNU



People, Businesses, Corporations, can all be framed in many different ways to appear to the public however the framer desires them to appear. In the case of logging, I would have to say science prevails, it tells the truth better than anyone else, and the upside of logging cannot possibly outweigh the downside of deforestation.


-Sadie W.