Environmental News Reporting in Grass-Root Bangladesh: Content Analysis of Six Regional Newspapers

Abstract

Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country. Also, it is one of the most vulnerable countries to global climate change. As such coverage of environmental issues is utterly important for Bangladeshi media, especially newspapers as they can create awareness and shape public opinions. However, despite its importance, coverage of environmental issues has not been very significant in Bangladeshi newspapers, especially in regional newspapers. Also, there is a lack in comprehensive research on the issue, especially focusing on regional newspapers. To understand the current trend in coverage of environmental issues in regional newspapers, this study examines the coverage of environmental issues in six regional newspapers of Bangladesh, published from six divisional headquarters – Chottogram, Khulna, Sylhet, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Barishal – during a disaster-free period (1–15 March 2025). Using a mixed-method approach combining quantitative content analysis and qualitative thematic analysis, the research assessed attention, emphasis, prominence, sources, photographs, and thematic focus of 97 environmental news stories among 4,575 published items in the above-mentioned newspapers. The findings reveal that the coverage of regional newspapers was not much focused on the local communities, rather they prioritized national and international issues over-pressing local challenges such as waterlogging, drought, saline intrusion, irrigation crises, and air pollution. Of the total stories, 44.62% addressed environmental problems, 9.7% focused on public protests, 15.52% on government drives and actions, and 25.22% on awareness programs. Despite their potential role in raising community awareness, regional newspapers provided largely event-based, elite-centered reporting with little investigative or research-based depth. Editorials and stories were often influenced by political and administrative interests, while contributions from experts and research institutions were almost absent. Visual presentation was weak, with no use of infographics or data visualization, and only a limited number of byline reports. The study concludes that environmental journalism in local newspapers in Bangladesh remains under-resourced and surface-level, with inadequate attention to grassroots realities. Strengthening professional standards, ensuring appropriate recognition and remuneration of local journalists, and encouraging research-driven, visually engaging reporting are essential for enhancing the role of regional newspapers in addressing Bangladesh’s acute environmental challenges.