Temporalities and environmental reporting: press news on eutrophication in Finland

Abstract

Abstract Media coverage is increasingly setting the agenda for environmental policy, even though the media has no formal role in policy making. This article explores water eutrophication in the Finnish press. The focus is on the temporal variations presented in the press articles. The DPSIR framework describing the Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts, and Responses, and the concept of timescape are applied in order to analyse and discuss different aspects of temporality. The results indicate that the long-term driving forces and pressures causing eutrophication receive little attention. The eutrophication process is especially connected to the algae occurrences caused by temporary weather conditions. By omitting the long-term perspective and the interplay between different temporal processes, the press coverage creates an agenda that is not likely to facilitate the implementation of the long-term environmental policy measures.; Abstract Media coverage is increasingly setting the agenda for environmental policy, even though the media has no formal role in policy making. This article explores water eutrophication in the Finnish press. The focus is on the temporal variations presented in the press articles. The DPSIR framework describing the Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts, and Responses, and the concept of timescape are applied in order to analyse and discuss different aspects of temporality. The results indicate that the long-term driving forces and pressures causing eutrophication receive little attention. The eutrophication process is especially connected to the algae occurrences caused by temporary weather conditions. By omitting the long-term perspective and the interplay between different temporal processes, the press coverage creates an agenda that is not likely to facilitate the implementation of the long-term environmental policy measures.