Main Article Content
Abstract
Despite the continuous efforts made in recent years to improve environmental qualities, pollution still poses a serious threat to human health and harms the planet. Emphasizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Bangladesh is highly determined to achieve all its goals in due time. In this context, given Bangladesh’s current environmental situation, traditional media have a crucial role to play, especially in developing environmental awareness. This study investigates how Bangladeshi print media cover environmental issues and whether they practice proactive or reactive reporting to raise public awareness. There are two phases in this study, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. An analysis of the coverage and treatment of environmental news for one year, January to December 2022, in four major Bangladeshi newspapers, two each in Bengali and English, was accomplished in the first phase using content analysis. The second phase involved in-depth interviews with six senior environment-beat reporters. The study found that Bangladeshi mainstream newspapers are still far away from practicing proactive environmental reporting, as only one-fourth of the news reports are found to be proactive. The study also suggested some recommendations for the editorial body & policymakers.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Sanjoy Basak Partha , Meherun Nahar
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References
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- Robbins, D., & Wheatley, D. (2021). Complexity, Objectivity, and Shifting Roles: Environmental Correspondents March to a Changing Beat. Journalism Practice, 15 (9). pp. 1289–1306. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1910981
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- Sampei, Y. & Aoyagi-Usui, M. (2009). Mass Media Coverage, Its Influence on Public Awareness of Climate-Change Issues, and Implications for Japan’s National Campaign to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Global Environmental Change, 19(2). pp. 203-212.
- Schoenfeld, A. C. (1975). The Changing Role of Mass Communication in Environmental Education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 8(3). pp. 60-64.
- Shrestha, A. M. (1990). Winds from the West. Gannett Centre of Journals, 4(3). pp. 155-160.
- Stocking, H. & Leonard, J. P. (1990). The Greening of the Media: A Progress Report. Columbia Journalism Review, pp. 37-44.
- Volkmer, I., & Sharif, K. (2018). Risk Journalism Between Transnational Politics and Climate Change. Cham, Gewerbestrasse: Springer.
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References
Al Amin, M. (2021, Jan 25). Bangladesh remains 7th most vulnerable to climate change. The Business Standard. Retrieved from https://www.tbsnews.net/environment/climate-change/bangladesh-remains-7th-most-vulnerable-climate-change-191044
Amend, E., & Secko, D. M. (2012). In the Face of Critique: A Meta-Synthesis of the Experiences of Journalists Covering Health and Science. Science Communication, 34 (2). pp. 241–282. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547011409952
Bacon, W., Das, J., & Zaman, A. (2009). Covering the Environmental Issues and Global Warming in Delta Land: A Study of Three Newspapers. Pacific Journalism Review [Online]. 15(2). pp. 10-33. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/49092772/Covering_the_environmental_issues_and_global_warming_in_Delta_land_A_study_of_three_newspapers
Bowman, J. S.. & Fuchs, T. (1981). Environmental Coverage in the Mass Media: A Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Environmental Studies [Online]. 18(1). pp. 11-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207238108709919
Carnie, T. (ed.) (2020). A Perspective from South Africa. In Routledge Handbook of Environmental Journalism. 1st, edited by D. B. Sachsman and J. M Valenti. London: Routledge.
Dutt, B., Garg, K. C. & Bhatta, A. (2013). A Quantitative Assessment of the Articles on Environmental Issues Published in English-language Indian Dailies. Library and Information Studies, 60(3).
EPI 2022: Bangladesh’s position slips 15 notches to 177th. The Financial Express. Retrieved from https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/epi-2022-bangladeshs-position-slips-15-notches-to-177th-1654953295
Fahy, D., & Nisbet, M. C. (2011). The Science Journalist Online: Shifting Roles and Emerging Practices. Journalism, 12 (7). pp. 778–793. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884911412697
Friedman, S. (2004). And the Beat Goes on: The Third Decade of Environmental Journalism. In S. Sencha (Ed.), The Environmental Communication Yearbook, 1, pp. 175-187. NJ: Erlbaum.
Hansen, A. (2007). Introduction: The Mass Media and Environmental Issues. London: Leicester University Press.
Harris, P.G. (2006). Environmental Perspectives and Behaviour in China: Synopsis and Bibliography. Environment and Behaviour, 38(1). pp. 5-21.
Hoerisch, H. (2002). A Comparative Study on Environmental Awareness and Environmentally Beneficial Behaviour in India. [online]. Retrieved from http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/researchstudy/beneficial.pdf
Jalarajan, R. S. & Sreekumar, R. (2017). The Commercial Misrepresentation of Environmental Issues: Comparing Environmental Media Coverage in the First World and the Developing Nations. Amity Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 1(2).
Jjuuko, M. (2016). How Three Communities on Lake Victoria Landing Sites in Uganda Perceive and Interpret the Radio Programmes on the Lake’s Crises. African Journalism Studies, 37 (1). pp.120– 136. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/23743670.2015.1084588
Lublinski, J., Reichert, I., Denis, A., Fleury, J. M., Labassi, O., & Spurk, C. (2014). Advances in African and Arab Science Journalism: Capacity Building and new Newsroom Structures Through Digital Peer-to-Peer Support. Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies, 35 (2). pp. 4–22. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02560054.2014.919945
Marukatat, S. (1991). A comparative content analysis of environmental news coverage in Time & The Weekly Review. Thesis Dissertation. Iowa State University.
McGeachy, L. E. (1987). Trend in Magazine Coverage of Environmental Issues, 1961-1986. Master’s Thesis. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
McQuail, D. (1994). Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction. London: Sage Publication.
Mishra, M. (2020). Environmental Journalism in India: Past, Present, and Future. In Routledge Handbook of Environmental Journalism, edited by D. B. Sachsman and J. M. Valenti. pp. 291–305. London: Routledge.
Norma, N. & Hasan, N. (2007). The Representation of Environmental News: A Comparative Study of the The Malaysian & New Zealand. [online]. Retrieved from https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/1904/Thesisfulltext.pdf;jsessionid=9D5CA221FD17EB0562DD74D4A6B8FC88?sequence=1
Okoro, N. & Nnaji, G. O. (2012). Press coverage of pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria: A content analysis of the Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Sun & This Day Newspapers. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3, pp. 34-46.
Ostman, R. E. & Parker, J. L. (2015). Impact of Newspapers on Environmental Knowledge, Journal of Environmental Education, 19(1).
Parlour, J. W. & Schatzow, S. (1978). The Mass Media & Public Concern for Environmental Problems in Canada, 1960-1972. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 13. pp. 9-17.
Porritt, J. (1991). Global Warming. New Statesman Society, 4(150). pp. 15-16.
Qusien, R., & Robbins, D. (2023). Science Journalism in Pakistan: The Challenges Faced by Environmental Reporters. Journalism Studies. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2201854
Robbins, D., & Wheatley, D. (2021). Complexity, Objectivity, and Shifting Roles: Environmental Correspondents March to a Changing Beat. Journalism Practice, 15 (9). pp. 1289–1306. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1910981
Rojas, D. (2021, Dec 09). How the climate crisis is impacting Bangladesh. The Climate Reality Project. Retrieved from https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-climate-crisis-impacting-bangladesh
Sampei, Y. & Aoyagi-Usui, M. (2009). Mass Media Coverage, Its Influence on Public Awareness of Climate-Change Issues, and Implications for Japan’s National Campaign to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Global Environmental Change, 19(2). pp. 203-212.
Schoenfeld, A. C. (1975). The Changing Role of Mass Communication in Environmental Education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 8(3). pp. 60-64.
Shrestha, A. M. (1990). Winds from the West. Gannett Centre of Journals, 4(3). pp. 155-160.
Stocking, H. & Leonard, J. P. (1990). The Greening of the Media: A Progress Report. Columbia Journalism Review, pp. 37-44.
Volkmer, I., & Sharif, K. (2018). Risk Journalism Between Transnational Politics and Climate Change. Cham, Gewerbestrasse: Springer.
Williams, A., & Clifford, S. (2008). Mapping the Field: A Political Economic Account of Specialist Science News Journalism in the UK National Media.