The Media Framework for Addressing Climate Change Issues in Emirati Journalism: An Analytical Study of Al Ittihad Newspaper's Website.

Abstract

This study aims to identify the media frameworks utilized by the Emirati press in covering climate change issues, and to determine the extent of their coverage. The study examines the UAE's climate action journey and its strategic vision for the next three decades in the context of the announcement of the UAE Climate Neutrality Initiative by 2050, which is a significant milestone in the country's three-decade climate action history. The study covers the period from November 1, 2021, which is the date of the UAE's victory in hosting the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2023, until January 30, 2022. This study is descriptive-analytical research, and it employs the media framing theory by conducting a comprehensive survey of the materials published on the UAE Federation press website regarding climate change, using both quantitative and qualitative content analysis tools. The preliminary results of the study reveal how the media frames climate change issues and their coverage in the Emirati press.

The study examined the potential evidence of conflict frames in media coverage of several Western societies, despite the increasing problem of climate refugees and the use of the term "environmental fascism." On the other hand, the UAE Federation newspaper's website discussed several climate change-related topics, with temperature rise being the most prominent at 21%, followed by sustainable development and renewable energy, ranging from 12% to 15%.