Role of Media in Shaping Public Opinion on Climate Change in Pakistan

Abstract

The issue of climate change has turned out to be one of the most urgent in the world that affects the ecological, economic, and social processes to a great extent. The presence of climate related disasters such as floods, heat waves and melting of glaciers has increased the scale of the concern among people in Pakistan but there is vast variation in the awareness among population and perception of the problems. Information and discussion as a significant source of media can be instrumental in shaping the opinion of individuals and mobilizing society to deal with the issues of climate. The current paper is concerned with the issue of how the media (television, newspapers, radio and digital media) can influence the awareness of individuals, attitudes and behavioral intentions regarding the climate change issue in Pakistan. The analysis of media contents and literature review, through the study, identifies the potential of media in relaying the climate science, in framing environmental risks and in providing proactive behaviors in connection with environmental risks. Based on the results, media can highly influence knowledge and attitudes, yet the attitude to the problem connected with climate, application of sensationalism, and the lack of equal access to information can also affect the perceptions in some minor ways. The efficacy of media can be optimized through appropriate scientific reporting of the message, which is sensitive to the culture and location to make the population more interested in action on climate.