Framing Climate Change on TV News Websites: A Study of Nile News, Sky News Arabia, and CGTN Arabic

Abstract

The issue of climate change has imposed itself on the news media's agenda, especially after the United States' decision to abandon and then return to the 2015 Paris Climate Accord. The current study focuses on climate change framing on TV news websites; namely, Nile News, Sky News Arabia, and CGTN Arabic. This was done using quantitative content analysis using framing theory. News coverage has varied in terms of publication rates on climate change (Sky News= 2820; Nile News= 178; CGTN Arabic= 105). Results indicated that attribution of responsibility, disaster, political struggle, and economic consequence frames dominated the news coverage of climate change during the sampling period. The results also showed the United States and China as the most mentioned countries in the news coverage of climate change. The current study can be added to literature that examines the coverage of environmental issues in the news media. In addition, it opens horizons about research on media coverage of climate change and its effects on peoples.