Advanced Environmental Journalism and the Politics of Pollution Reporting in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68050/JAMS.2026.574Keywords:
environmental journalism; pollution reporting; framing theory; Nigerian newspapers; narrative analysisAbstract
Environmental pollution in Nigeria is severe and well documented, yet less is understood about how online newspapers construct pollution narratives and frames and the professional conditions under which journalists produce such reporting. This study examined dominant narrative patterns, predominant frames, journalistic practices, and the political, institutional and professional factors shaping environmental pollution coverage in selected Nigerian online newspapers. A qualitative design combining content analysis of 120 environmental and pollution-related stories from Punch, The Guardian, Vanguard and Premium Times, published between January 1, 2022 and September 30 2026, with in-depth interviews with seven environmental journalists was adopted. Findings reveal six dominant narratives: institutional failure, lived hardship, ecological catastrophe, contested causality, solution-seeking and economic loss, and eight interacting frames, including responsibility, human impact, governance, ecology, economics, justice, solution and conflict. The interviews further indicate that environmental journalists rely on verification, multiple sources and documentary evidence, while working within constraints associated with limited resources, information access, political and institutional pressures, and deadline demands. The study demonstrates how newspaper narratives and frames intersect with the
professional conditions of environmental reporting, providing an integrated account of the politics of pollution reporting in Nigeria. It recommends stronger institutional support for specialist environmental reporting, improved access to regulatory information, source diversity and investment in relevant data and investigative journalism skills.
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