Media Framing of Environmental Issues: A Study of Press Coverage in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Abstract

Environmental issues have become some of the most critical research areas in the twenty-first century, affecting all dimensions of society. News media outlets are pivotal in disseminating information about environmental issues and significantly influencing public opinion about these issues of public concern. While there is extensive research on media portrayal of climate change, less focus has been on how local newspapers report on various environmental problems. Gilgit Baltistan is a highly environmentally affected region in the extreme north of Pakistan. To examine the coverage of the environmental problems in local media and the significant differences in the frames of the chosen newspapers, a content analysis of two local newspapers of Gilgit-Baltistan namely Daily K2 and Daily Ausaf was performed for the year 2022-2023. The study's main focus was identifying the most frequently used frames in the selected newspapers and exploring the significant difference between the frames used to present environmental issues in the selected newspapers. In the context of GB environmental challenges are frequently presented as a consequence of human practices such as industrial manufacturing and transportation, deforestation, and disposal of large amounts of waste into nearby lakes and rivers that cause environmental problems. Most of the stories suggest possible solutions to tackle environmental risks. The difference between the frames adopted by the selected newspaper was the scientific certainty frame. Daily K2 has given more importance to the science of environmental issues as compared to Daily Ausaf. The findings of the study can be used by local environmental organizations and government agencies and policy-making bodies to design effective communication campaigns and raise awareness in addressing environmental issues.