Source Credibility in Environmental Reporting of Two Different Media Landscapes

Abstract

This research attempts to understand environmental communication taking place in countries with different political, socio-cultural contexts and organizational media levels. In this regard, the research's focuses on Pakistani and British print media systems, which have different organizational systems and contexts. Therefore, it is worth analyzing whether these organizational differences affect the way their news content in relation to the environment is being produced, with emphasis on the credibility of sources. A quantitative content analysis of two Pakistani and two British newspapers was conducted from the previous one decade through January 2007 to December 2016 by using a sample of 5315 environmental news stories published in four publications concerning from each country such as Dawn and Nation from Pakistan, whereas Telegraph and Guardian have chosen from the UK. The Significance of this quantitative study is based on the theoretical approach of agenda-setting and media source credibility. Assuredly, environmental reporting of Pakistani and British print media diverges in the context of source preferences in agenda-setting and media source credibility capacity. Subsequently, dominantly quoted news sources of environmental issues in Pakistani and British print media depict the environmental agenda of each country.