KATHMANDU, April 29: A study by Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalist (NEFEJ) shows Republica and its sister publication, Nagarik of prioritizing issues regarding environment.
The study from January 2018 till March 2018 included six daily newspapers; Kantipur, Annapurna Post, Nagarik, The Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times and its content; opinions, photos and editorials.
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“Republica and its sister publication were found to prioritize environment and climate change,” the study reads, “during the period, 33 news were published in the front pages of Republica daily and its sister publication. The number of photos with captions is also high in these two newspapers.”
The study showed that 383 news related to environment and climate change were published in the sampled newspapers. Among them, news related to air pollution, water and soil pollution were dominant with 1,117 news under these headings. There were 111 news related to climate change and its effects, 20 related to natural disaster, 43 related to bio-diversity, 20 each related to waste management and sustainable development goals and 35 news were related to cold.
The study highlighted that coverage of environment and climate change issues varied on seasons with specific climate hazards gaining priority. “During summer and rainy season, news related to floods and landslide were prominent, and the news related to forest fire were prioritized in autumn,” according to NEFEJ’s study.
Despite coverage, the study shared that there were “insufficient news and reviews that showcased ways to mitigate natural disasters.” While encouraging, the study shared that opinion, analysis and editorial on these issues were almost non-existent. “In totality, there were not editorial, view or opinion article on the issues related to environment climate change and sustainable development.”
