Research ProjectGreenwashing in the Media Nowadays, companies have mastered the technique of deceiving customers by making false claims about a green product or service that they swear to provide. This display of disingenuous information is called “Greenwashing,” a spin-off of “Whitewashing.” It could be said that greenwashing is a global phenomenon and it is commonly seen in advertisements, on product packaging, on websites, in emails, in speeches and in videos (to name a few- uns). Greenwashing is a thoughtful process, a planned and generally well-designed campaign. There are a wide range of reasons why companies are keen to participate in greenwashing; divert attention to regulatory changes, persuade critics or consumers, expand the company's market, and make the company attractive. The aim of this article is to provide three examples of greenwashing and to relate these examples to Downing et al. notions. To help further explain these misleading claims, a company well recognized by the media is called Terrachoice. “Terrachoice Environment Marketing Consulting translates knowledge of markets, science and marketing into winning, customer-centric solutions to help sustainability leaders achieve results” (“The Six Sins,” 2007). Terrachoice conducted a study on “environmental claims in North American consumer markets” and found shocking results that prompted it to warn potential consumers about the “six sins of greenwashing.” The Terrachoice company was designed to improve communication between buyers and consumers, helping to improve, strengthen and prove relationships with the market. Companies that practice greenwashing commonly use the words "green", "energy efficient" and "clean" to expound...... middle of paper ......efit" (p. xx). More and more people will encounter greenwashing, from news to advertising; however, it is important to recognize the exaggeration, persuasiveness and omission of information in these advertisements. It is obvious that any form of media is filled with manipulation; extract the consumer's perception, actions, fears, desires and values. In our text Downing et al. begins by saying: “empiricist communications research…is more concerned with questions, problems, and perspectives than with the simple recitation of detailed facts. Indeed, critical scholars would say that the facts themselves are impossible to interpret unless they are placed within a model or theory of how media and society work” (xxviii). I think this sums up why we should all be critical in a positive way and use the theories that help us analyze media material..