Framing of Environmental News through Constructive Journalism in the Indian Context

Mainstream media often deem environmental news non-newsworthy owing to the lack of audience interest. This could be attributed to the lackadaisical treatment that environmental issues receive, which either presents these in an esoteric manner beyond audience comprehension or through non-engaging coverage to keep up with the bandwagon. The internet access boom has helped environmental groups and non-government organisations present and advocate for various environmental issues, including climate change. It would hold great significance for environmental communication research to study how these issues are being explored and the real-time impact and mobilisation of the audience. Constructive journalism is a growing field that addresses various social issues, including environmental concerns, through the lens of positive psychology and solution-based approaches. Its proliferation across new media platforms makes the scope of studying environmental issues more extensive. This study employs frame analysis to examine the frames employed in constructive environmental stories by media platforms, including The Better India and Mongabay India. A total of 285 stories between 2021 and 2022 were analysed using Nambiar’s typology of environmental frames, and it was found that constructive news elements in environmental stories may do well towards raising environmental consciousness among the audience and call to action.