Media framing of climate and health in Pakistan: analysis of floods 2022 news coverage

Abstract

Pakistan is at the forefront of climate change impacts, including extreme weather events such as heatwaves and flooding. Effective communication is crucial in helping people understand that extreme weather events pose a significant risk to public health. This research presents a framing analysis of the 2022 flood coverage in 3 major English-language dailies in Pakistan. The media’s framing of the health implications of floods reveals that public and physical health are more salient in hard news than mental health impacts and challenges faced by vulnerable population (often covered in features). Additionally, the focus remains on short-term adaptation efforts compared to long-term mitigation. This study also explores the relationship between news story types and framing strategies in the coverage of the health implications of floods. The study highlights the need for more targeted media coverage to raise public awareness and inform policy on climate-health risk.