Framing of Environmental News through Constructive Journalism in the Indian Context
Lekshmi Priya Sanal1, I. Arul Aram2
1Lekshmi Priya Sanal, Department of Media Sciences, Anna University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
2Prof. I Arul Aram, Department of Media Sciences, Anna University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
Manuscript received on 01 March 2025 | First Revised Manuscript received on 11 March 2025 | Second Revised Manuscript received on 17 May 2025 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 June 2025 | Manuscript published on 30 June 2025 | PP: 4-9 | Volume-4 Issue-4, June 2025 | Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijmcj.C112004030325 | DOI: 10.54105/ijmcj.C1120.04040625
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© The Authors. Published by Lattice Science Publication (LSP). This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Mainstream media often deem environmental news non-newsworthy owing to the lack of audience interest. This could be attributed to the lackadaisical treatment that environmental issues receive, which either presents these in an esoteric manner beyond audience comprehension or through non-engaging coverage to keep up with the bandwagon. The internet access boom has helped environmental groups and non-government organisations present and advocate for various environmental issues, including climate change. It would hold great significance for environmental communication research to study how these issues are being explored and the real-time impact and mobilisation of the audience. Constructive journalism is a rising domain that covers various social problems, including environmental concerns, through positive psychology and solution-based approaches. Its proliferation across new media platforms makes the scope of studying environmental issues more extensive. This study uses frame analysis to explore the frames used in constructive environmental stories by media platforms, such as The Better India and Mongabay India. A total of 285 stories between 2021 and 2022 were analysed using Nambiar’s typology of environmental frames, and it was found that constructive news elements in environmental stories may do well towards raising environmental consciousness among the audience and call to action.
Keywords: Constructive Journalism, Environmental Journalism, New Media, Positive Psychology, Solutions.
Scope of the Article: Emerging Trends in Journalism