FRAMING THE FLAMES: analyzing news coverage of the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires by Brazilian and American newspapersABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to analyze how major American and Brazilian newspapers framed the Amazon rainforest fire that occurred in August 2019. Framing theory was used as the foundation to build the literature review and guide this study to the research questions and hypotheses. The sample in the analysis was composed of news articles (N = 250) from the American newspapers The New York Times and The Washington Post, and the Brazilian newspapers Folha de S.Paulo and O Estado de S. Paulo. These newspapers were chosen based on their circulation and the influence of these media in their respective countries. The frames were selected using previous literature that analyzed organizational crises and new media coverage of environmental issues. The relevance of this study relies on the environmental and economic importance of the Amazon rainforest territory not only for Brazil but also for other countries around the world. The deforestation and the destruction of this green area impact the population of many countries in South America and represent an environmental crisis. Due to the importance of the Amazon rainforest, this study seeks to understand what message media from different countries are sending to their audience when covering the 2019 fires in the Amazon. This paper contributed to improving the understanding of the application of framing theory in communication research, and the understanding of how the use of distinct media frames by cross-cultural media can imply a particular message to the audience.
Key words
Environmental journalism; Brazilian rainforest fires; Framing theory; Content analysis