Construction of the problem of pollution of Baltic Sea in mass-media

Abstract

To date, quite a lot of research has been carried out in the field of natural sciences regarding the problem of pollution of the Baltic Sea, but their results are available to a small community of scientists and experts. Most of the population receives information from media messages, in which it is inevitably transformed. The purpose of the study is to identify the main constructs (representations of problems) formed on news portals on the subject of pollution of the Baltic Sea. A constructivist approach was used to analyze the materials. The study revealed that the media form a picture that is significantly different from objective scientific information about the pollution of the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the interpretation of environmental problems differs markedly on regional and federal news portals. Three main types of constructs have been identified: the construct of danger, the construct of economic gain, and the construct of local environmental conflict. These constructs form citizens' perceptions of environmental problems and ways to overcome them. Understanding not only real environmental problems, but their representation in the media, which shape citizens' perceptions of these problems, is necessary to develop a pollution minimization strategy.