Media Framing of COP26: A Comparative Content Analysis of Dawn and BBC News

Abstract

Climate change, often referred to as global warming, has emerged as one of the most critical environmental challenges worldwide, leading to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ecological disruptions. In this context, media plays a significant role in shaping public understanding and policy discourse on the issue.

This study examines the framing of climate change coverage in selected international and national media organizations, specifically BBC and Dawn. The study is grounded in Framing Theory to analyze how climate change is constructed and represented in news discourse, and why certain dimensions of the issue receive greater emphasis than others.

A qualitative content analysis was conducted on selected news reports covering the COP26 summit (October–November 2021). The findings indicate that ecological and scientific frames dominate climate change reporting; however, political and international relations frames significantly influence the depth and direction of coverage. The study further reveals that climate change is often overshadowed by geopolitical and conflict-oriented news agendas, resulting in relatively limited and fragmented attention to the issue.

The study concludes that while climate change is recognized as a global concern, media framing patterns vary significantly across outlets, affecting the visibility and urgency of the issue in public discourse.

Keywords: Climate Change, Global Warming, Framing Theory, Content Analysis, COP26, Media Representation