Examining the Role of Media in Shaping Rural Residents’ Perceptions of Gas Flaring Effect on Environment Pollution in Nigeria

Gas flaring poses threats to agriculture and human wellbeing, especially in developing countries. Nigeria remains one of the most gas flaring countries in the world. Hence, gas flaring is of pivotal societal concern in Nigeria. The most affected regions are the rural areas of the country – namely, Niger Delta. The media, however, is instrumental in shaping the public’s opinion on this matter; it engenders attitudes, positive or negative; reorients policies that are put in place to aid enabling environment where the effects of gas flaring are largely attenuated or completely consigned to the past. The aim of this paper is to examine the role of media in framing rural residents’ perceptions of gas flaring effect on environmental pollution in Nigeria. This paper aims to set in embryonic term the power of media, uncover the initial and current role of media in framing the perceptions of rural resident’s on this issue, and propose a sketchy way forward.