Forest-climate politics in Bangladesh’s media discourse in comparison to global media discourse

Forests and climate are both prominent issues within policies and media in Bangladesh, as well as on the global level. This study analyses media discourses from 1989 to 2010 from the International Herald Tribune and The Daily Ittefaq. The quantitative content analysis finds substantial differences between forest and climate discourses. The hypothesis that the international media drives the national media discourse is rejected. National print media (The Daily Ittefaq) primarily frames the discussion around the adverse impact of climate change on forests in Bangladesh, whereas the international print media (International Herald Tribune) frames the discussion around the mitigating role of forests. In other words, forests are described as a solution opportunity to climate change. Journalists and politicians are the main actors in national print media, whereas scientist, non-governmental organisations and international organisations are the main voices in international print media.