How words shape the perception of forestry in Germany: Aligning content and language for effective strategic communication

Effective communication has become essential for shaping the public perception of forests and forestry, especially in the face of societal change and ecological challenges. This study explores how language use contributes to strategic communication by focusing on the concept of language intensity (LI), defined as the rhetorical richness or degree to which language deviates from neutrality and evokes emotional responses. Grounded on a framework of strategic communication and the language expectancy theory (LET), this research investigates the extent of emotionalization in the language used by various forest-related and forest-focused actors in Germany. A language intensity analysis was applied to texts on websites and social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) from 33 organizations in total, including ministries, state forest enterprises, NGOs, and research institutions. Using a linguistic analysis based on established LI metrics (Bowers, 1964; Donohue, 1991), the study traces five linguistic means and calculates their weighted emotionality. Results reveal substantial variation in LI across actors and media channels. NGOs focused on nature conservation generally use higher LI, whereas public administration and research institutions deploy more neutral language. In our study, communication on websites was more emotionally expressive than on social media. The findings suggest that many forestry actors use a factual communication style that may contradict their strategic goals to reframe the forestry sector as multifunctional, modern and innovative. The study concludes that aligning language style with communication purposes and audience expectations is essential for persuading the public of a positive transition of the forest sector.