Assessing How the Print Media Frame Waste Management in Ghana

Abstract

The media is a very influential institution in a global effort to attain sustainable development, which includes waste management. Evidence suggests that little study has been done in the area of understanding media reportage of waste management issues within the Ghanaian Context. This study sought to unearth how the Ghanaian newspaper outlets namely the Daily Graphic, Daily Guide, Ghanaian Times, and The Chronicles, have presented the issue of waste management in Ghana between the period January 2015 and December 2019. This study examined the degree of prominence given to waste management issues, identified the dominant voices in waste management media discourse, examined how the issue has been presented and the focus of frames in waste management media coverage, and examine the perceptions of media practitioners on media narratives on waste Management. A mixed-method approach of quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis of interviews was employed and applied sequentially for the study. The study retrospectively reviewed newspaper articles on waste management published between the period 2015-2019, supported by the views of media practitioners. A total of 306 news editions were sampled by each paper based on a constructed week and purposive sampling technique. Three hundred and ten (310) stories were collected on waste management using a coding guide. Eight media practitioners were purposively sampled and interviewed using an interview guide. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 21, while the qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study shows that waste management stories were dominated with positively framed stories, indicating that most of the stories were framed highlighting the benefits of proper waste management as well as expressing hope in the success of the measures put in place to manage wastes. More than 50% of the stories were also framed stories focusing on recommending solutions to the waste problem. Government officials serve as the dominant source of information for waste management stories. The study further revealed that little prominence was attached to waste management stories through story placement. However, much prominence was attached to stories through story enhancement. A major challenge media practitioners faced in framing waste management issues is the fear of being criticized and tagged corrupt for trying to be ‘critical’ towards those responsible. This thesis apart from its contribution to the body of literature in Ghana, the thesis has drawn the attention of media practitioners to the lack of flexibility in news reportage leading to the predominance of straight news stories. This study also exposes the challenges that confront waste management framing in media to policymakers, which is, the lack of ‘criticality’ in framing for the fear of being tagged corrupt or criticized for trying to be critical towards institutions responsible for waste management. This study recommends a policy that would advocate for the allocation of funds to support media outlets to do follow-ups on waste-related issues and to cover waste management and environmental related issues more often.