Print Media Coverage of Climate Change Crisis in Pakistan: A Comparative Study of Two Newspapers Dawn and Daily Times

Abstract

The coverage of the climate change crisis in two elite Pakistani English print media outlets, Dawn and Daily Times, is examined in this study. Considering the importance of climate change as a worldwide concern, understanding how it is depicted in the media is critical for raising awareness and affecting public opinion. The study looks at the frequency, themes, and framing of climate change-related articles in these newspapers using content analysis. The study compares the two newspapers to shed light on the variations and similarities in their reporting as well as to analyse the degree of coverage of this critical issue. Political and economic stories received prominent coverage, signifying the media’s acknowledgement of the role played by policymaking, politics, and the economic implications associated with climate change. Moreover, in terms of geographical focus, both newspapers demonstrated a prioritization of reporting on national climate change issues. The implementation of the NDCs long-term plan has exerted a discernible influence on the coverage of climate change-related stories in both newspapers. Notably, after the adoption of the NDCs plan, both Dawn and Daily Times have increased their coverage of climate change issues, thereby indicating the plan’s substantial impact on media attention and reporting.