Reporting on Rhinos: Analysis of the Newspaper Coverage of Rhino Paoching

Abstract

The media is instrumental in providing the public with environmental knowledge and increasing environmental awareness, and is a useful indicator of established public perceptions. Analysis of media representations of environmental issues can thus contribute to our understanding of public attitudes, behaviours and perceptions and the role of the media in environmental education more generally. It can also enhance support for effective environmental management. This research, based on a qualitative design, provides an analysis of a specific environmental issue- rhino poaching – as represented in The Mail & Guardian, a prominent weekly English newspaper known for its environmental content. Fifty issues of The Mail & Guardian, published between January and December 2012 were reviewed to establish the types of articles, their size, placement and use of graphics; the actors in the articles; and the thematic framing. The majority of the articles categorised were solution-orientated, with mitigation being the most frequently coded theme. The study also indicated some limitations in the reporting of rhino poaching, both in terms of coverage of relevant issues and integrity of the content.