Framing Deforestation Discourse in Tanzanian Media: An Analysis of Framing Strategies in Daily News and the Guardian Newspapers
Caunter Erasto Mgaya *
Department of Journalism, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Iringa, Tanzania.
Rajendran J. Britto
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, St. Augustine University of Tanzania, Mwanza, Tanzania.
Egbert E. Mkoko
Department of Journalism, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This research delves into the framing of deforestation issues within Tanzania's Daily News and The Guardian newspapers, focusing on political framing, responsibility, environment, and human impact framing. The study centred on a content analysis of deforestation-related articles in these national newspapers, treating the Daily News and The Guardian in Tanzania as a case study. Findings reveal an average coverage of 1.7 deforestation stories per day across both newspapers. Notably, the articles exhibited a predominant political framing, constituting 57% of the content. Despite this emphasis on political perspectives, the study underscores the significance of framing deforestation issues within Tanzanian newspapers and suggests that future research should explore additional newspapers to enrich our understanding of this critical subject.
Keywords: Newspaper, deforestation, environmental issues