SP2 THESIS: Framing Complex Environmental Issues

Framing Complex Environmental Issues: A Case Study Of Kauri Dieback Management In New Zealand Print Media

July 2023

Christensen I. 2022. Framing Complex Environmental Issues: A Case Study Of Kauri Dieback Management In New Zealand Print Media. Unpublished MEnvSc. thesis, University of Auckland.

ABSTRACT

This thesis examines how media, specifically online journalism, communicates complex socio-environmental issues using the example of kauri dieback in New Zealand. Analysis of online media coverage of kauri dieback management, particularly the closure of tracks, was undertaken using a mixed methods approach, including automated and manual content analysis, and interviews with journalists.

Multiple factors, including access to sources, commercial motives, editorial selection and journalist values, were found to contribute to the representation of kauri dieback track closures. In addition, commercial pressures were found to lead to the simplification of coverage in mainstream media, limiting the inclusion of Indigenous Māori perspectives.