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Topic of the Research: A framing analysis on Nepalese media portrayal of disaster events using news frames and PPRR cycle

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Bharat Raj PoudelCentre for Emergency and Disaster Management (CEDM),

Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane Australia. E-mail: bharatraj.poudel@student.qut.edu.au

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Professor Gerry Fitzgerald (Principal Supervisor, Chair)

School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, QUT 

Professor Michele Clark (Associate Supervisor),School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, QUT

Dr. Amisha Mehta (Associate Supervisor) Business School: Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations, Faculty of Business, QUT

Dr. Paul Barnes (Panel Member)School of Public Health and Social Work, Faculty of Health, QUT

Assoc. Professor Jane Johnston (External Panel Member)

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bond University

Adjunct Prof. Meen Bahadur Poudyal Chhetri (External Supervisor)Chairman of DPNET Nepal,

President of Nepal Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM)

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Supervisory Team & Panel Members

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How does Nepal Television (NTV) frame natural disasters? A qualitative content analysis of news scripts using news frames and PPRR cycle.

1

INTRODUCTION2

P THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGP THEORETICAL UNDERPINNING

ABSTRACT

3

METHODS & RESEARCH

DESIGN4

RESULTS / IMPLICATIONS5

Post 2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction6

Final Thoughts and References7

LOGO1.1 Aim and purpose of the study

• To Investigate portrayal of natural disasters by Nepal Television.

• To contribute towards disaster management model for improving

the effectiveness and efficiency of news production throughout the continuum of prevention,preparedness, response andrecovery (PPRR) phases of disaster management.

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LOGOSeeking Answers / Objectives

• Portrayal of natural disaster across the PPRR cycle

• Frames used and PPRR followed• Effective role, Improving performance, Contributing

the DM/DRR through PPRR • Significant components required, framework

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• Describe the current status• Identify the significant issues associated with• Determine the characteristics• Develop a framework/socio-culturally and

environmentally appropriate for Nepal

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1. The socio-economic and demographic situation of Nepal.

2. The global and regional (Nepal) trends of disasters and its impact to human population.

3. The role of media for disasters in Nepal.

4. Media’s involvement in disaster in Nepal vis`-a-vis´ other developed countries.

5. Reporting of disaster news using framing theory and PPRR cycle.

6. Existing barriers in Nepal that prevents media to effectively contribute in the event of disaster.

7. The policies of integrating media in disaster.

Outline of the review of literature

LOGOMethod of literature search

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Search engines and database: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO-host, Pro-Quest, Science Direct, LexisNexis AU, Informit, Relief Web and Prevention Web, DesInventar, EM-DAT, Google scholar etc.

Key words: ‘Media management', 'mass media' and ‘ natural disasters', 'media framing', 'role of media in disasters', 'risk communication and disasters', PPRR.

Analysis: The literature is reviewed in three stages;• Title• Abstract• Full text.

LOGONepal: Socio-economic and demography

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Nepal at a glance

Area: 147,181 Square Km/ (0.03 % of the world and 0.3% of Asia)

Mt Everest : 8848 meter(incl.8 out of 10 highest mountains of the world are in Nepal)

Population: 27 million (2011)

Administrative division: 5 development regions,14 districts, 58 municipalities, 3913 village development committees

Caste/ethnicity/religion : 125 castes/ethnic groups ,123 Languages. Nepali speaking (44.6%)

Religion:Hindu(81.3%),Buddhism (9%),Islam (4.4%),Kirat (3.1%),Christianity (1.4%)

Source:CBS-2011

LOGONepal: Socio-economic and demography

Nepal's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2012 was estimated at over $17.921 billion.

In 2010, agriculture accounted for 36.1%, services comprise 48.5%, and industry 15.4% of Nepal's GDP.

Agriculture employs 76% of the workforce, services 18% and manufacturing/craft-based industry 6%

Per capita Income – US $ 480

25.4 % Below Poverty Line

Life expectancy at birth – 68.8 years

Pop. Living below $ 1.25 is about 79 %.

HDI- 157th among approx.200 countries

Sources: UNDP, 2011 & CBS, 2011 & HDI 2012

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Global disasters trends vis’ a vis’ affected population

• In 2011, 30,000 people lost their life due to disaster. (Japan Tsunami – 18,000 +)

• 245 Million people affected in 2011 due to disaster.

• Average disaster occurrence is 384 events / year.

• In 2002, about 658 million people were affected due to disasters.

• In the same year, 421 disaster events occurred.

Source: The number and trends(CRED,2012)

LOGODisaster trends and related deaths in Nepal (1971-2010)

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Source: DesInventar,2011 & NSET,2011

LOGONatural disaster profile in Nepal

12th in the human exposure to floods out of 162 countries.

10th in occurrence of landslides, out of 162 countries.

32nd for earthquake out of 153 countries.

49th in drought hazard risk out of 184 countries.

11th as a most at risk country in natural disaster.

34th country to the economic loss caused by landslides, 73rd country to the economic loss caused by earthquake and 64th for flood out of 164 countries.

In the last 30 years about 30,000 people lost their lives in Nepal due to all type of disasters.

Annually 0.35 million people are affected in Nepal due to flood only.

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Sources: DesInventar 2011, CBS, 2011, MoHA, 2012, CRED, 2011

LOGOMedia landscape & Operations

• 350 radio stations Licensed (Around 300 in operation)• 34 T.V stations licensed (10-12 active)• Approx.50 online news portals(approximately 15 from Nepal)

Television channels are privately owned. Except Nepal TV and metro, which are owned by the govt. Online- Private, institutional and government. Government run National News Agency(RSS)- NTL feed.The nodal authority is Press Council, Dept. of Info.(MOIC)Professional organisations: Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ), Nepal Press Union (NPU), Press Chautari, Editors Guild etc.Print: 426 daily newspapers registered (10 broadsheets, highly circulated)2000 weeklies registered (including institutional, NGO,INGO) (10-15)24 half weeklies408 fortnightlies (Including; Institutional, NGO, INGO)Human Resource8000 professional journalists/excl. volunteers and trainees.Mode of Usage9 million people in Nepal have access to mobile phone.0.9 million people have land line phone access.0.6 million people have internet access.

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Sources: MOIC (2011-12),Press Council(2011-12),FNJ, NPU, DoIC(2012),CIA-World Fact Book(2012),CBS(2012), (Adhikari,et al.,2011)

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Role of Nepalese media in disasters

Promote public awareness in natural disasters and provide support to the affected people for disaster resilient capacity.

Informing people about crisis and mitigating rumours by providing accurate and timelyinformation.

Media, like community radio’s are involved in environment and climate change relatedevents.

Media involved in various social development themes like HIV/AIDS control in thecountry.

The information collected by media houses on various disasters are used by the government and international and regional non-govt. organisations for decision makingin the event of disasters.

Source: MoHA(2011),Mainali(2002),Dahal(2002),Poudyal Chhetri(2010),DPNET(2011),Bhattarai & Ojha(2010)

LOGOReporting of disaster news using PPRR and Framing theory

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Nepalese media are using limited structure to analyse news stories.

In the U.S. a significant number of studies are done on Hurrican Katrina. State Emergency Agencies have released information about disaster planning then responses. Human resource interest frame was employed in less than 1 %. But, most of the media releases frequently quoted Hurrican Katrina.

Out of natural, human, social, built capital, only natural capital received less attention in the media coverage and responsibility frame was mostly used by media in response to Hurrican Katrina.

In Australia, response activities from both public and govt. are positively associated with the number of affected people, media coverage, and level of political and civil freedom.

Seung Ho Cho and Karla K. Gower (Cho & Gower, 2006),Human interest frame influence participants’ emotional response ,significant predictor of blame and responsibility.

W.Russel Neuman and his editorial team (W.Russel. Neuman, Just, & Crigler, 1992) found that conflict frame was commonly used by U.S. news media. Likewise conflict frame appeared second in mostly used frame, BP oil spill disaster in the U.S (Bissell & Yan, 2011).

Russel and Neumann (W.Russel. Neuman, et al., 1992)‘Common Knowledge: News and the Construction of Political Meaning’ ,U.S politics ,Journalists have to be cautious about the norms and objectivity of the issues like religion, culture or social beliefs.(Morality)

Koshi flood of 2008, significantly damaged the agricultural products causing huge economic impact ,social problem(Refugee Watch, 2010). Nepalese media especially reported this event focusing on human, economic, and infrastructure loss.

: On their study Semetko and Valkenburg(2000)found that the attribution of responsibility frame was most commonly used in serious and elite newspapers.

LOGOFraming theory & PPRR in disaster management?

1. This theory was first introduced by Goffman in1974 and further strengthened by Robert Entman, 1993 & Semetko & Valkanburg, 2000.

2. The purpose of using Framing theory in this research is to analyse various disaster news for specific interpretation, evaluation and solution of disaster events.

3. The theory was widely used to analysing media contents and news stories.

4. The analysis of media contents and news stories are based on five (5) important frames.

5. These frames are: Human Interest, Conflict, Economic Consequences, Morality, Responsibilities.

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Description of frames

Human interest frame: This frame in the news story brings human face or an emotional angle to the presentation of an event, issue or problem.

Conflict frame: It is used to know about the disagreement among the individuals, groups, or organizations involved in the time of crisis.

Economic consequences frame: Economic consequences frame focuses on negative or positive economic effects of the crisis.

Morality frame: Morality frame deals with the event, problem and issues relating to morals, and religious beliefs.

Responsibility frame: Responsibility frame refers to the angle that who is to be blamedfor crisis. It is a way of attributing responsibility for a cause of solution among the involving parties.

Source: Semetko and Valkenburg, 2000

LOGOPPRR Cycle in Disaster Management

Prevention

PreparednessRecovery

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Source: Leoni, Nicholls, Rogers, Abraham, 2001 & EMA, Australia

Response

Actions taken in anticipation, during & immediately after impact to ensure that its effects are minimized and that people are given immediate relief and practised arrangement for rapid assessment, multi-agency cooperation, quick and informed decision making and deployment of field teams

Arrangements to ensure that should a disaster occur, all resources and services which may be needed to cope with effects, can rapidly mobilized and deployed. Planning, training and exercise are important elements

Regulatory and physical measures to ensure emergencies are prevented or their effects are mitigated Tasks-Building design, personal safety measures, action and behaviour to increase survival rates and reduce morbidity

Coordinated process of supporting disaster –affected communities in reconstruction their physical infrastructure and restoration of emotional, social, economic and physical well being. Community recovery in public health sector. Practised arrangements for rapid assessment, multi-agency cooperation, decision making, deployment

LOGOExisting barrier that prevents media to contribute in disaster events

Policies and frameworks are limited.

The geographical terrain is unfavourable for media outlets.

Lack of specialised journalism in disaster management. However, disaster event are reported as general environmental issue.

Lack of leadership capability in coordinating media professionals within the NSDRM.

Media reporting is primarily focused on politics, business and arts. Disasters are reported under current affairs, environmental reporting

Media’s are not well coordinated in the event of disasters’.

Lack of financial allocation in disaster reporting.

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LOGOPolicies and framework of integrating media in disaster

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U.N recommendation to implement Hyogo framework for action has not been incorporated in Nepal.

Ministry of Home Affairs, has urged media to promote public awareness. But, there is lack of guidance, policies and framework.

National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management (NSDRM) has not included the role of media and not even suggested any framework or models.

Some studies suggest to broaden news sampling frame to make the issue more representative in terms of format, language, regions and frequency.

Disaster Preparedness Network (DP Net) has formulated a network of disaster managers and agencies to strengthen coordination capacity and support govt. in the event of disaster.

LOGOStatement of the Problem

Nepal is a disaster prone country.

Govt’s willingness to integrating media in disaster mgmt. is not in the priority agenda.

Focus of Nepalese media in disasters is limited compared to other events.

Information dissemination before, during and after disasters is limited/disorganized way.

Lack of policies and guidelines related to roles and responsibilities of media in different stages of disasters.

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LOGOGaps in the literature

1. Limited studies on media treatment for disaster management.

2. Evidence pertaining to mitigating losses and dissemination of information in disasters are limited.

3. Studies on the issue are primarily quantitative in nature.

4. A majority of studies are conducted in developed countries like U.S., Japan and Australia.

5. In Nepal, existing studies on media coverage are focused on politics, business, arts and technology.

6. Existing studies from Nepal and other countries have methodological issues in analysing news contents and stories.

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PPRR CYCLEHuman Interest

Conflict

Economic Consequences

Morality

Responsibility

Recovery Preparedness

Prevention

Response

News Frames

Relationship between PPRR Cycle, Media Coverage and News Frames

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Significance of the research

1.At the micro-level:Common people will be benefited .They will be well ‘prepared

for’, ‘able to prevent’, ‘respond to’ and ‘recover from’ any natural disasters.

2. At the meso level:The media industry will be benefited because they will have an

effective disaster reporting tool which will improve in editorial judgement. NTV and other government media will report disaster events effectively to seek prominence from the government and people.

3. At the macro-level:The study will assist government and international agencies to

develop appropriate policies strategies. In addition, this study will contribute to the existing limited literature on media treatment of disaster events and further research will be benefitted accordingly.

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Research methods and design

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Study Method: Qualitative

Design: Qualitative Descriptive

Qualitative Content Analysis

In-depth Interviews

Directed Content Analysis (Deductive)

Tool: Self-designed based on Framing

theory and PPRR Cycle

Semi-structured

Tool: Self-designed open ended

Framework Development for Media Management of Disasters ( Expert Ref. Group ,Delphi Technique)

PHASE- III

1. Approach : Qualitative

2. Why Qualitative and why not quantitative?

3. Design: Qualitative descriptive

4. Content analysis and in-depth interviews

5. Tools: Self-designed based on

framing theory and PPRR cycle

Semi-structured open –ended

6.) Study to be completed in 3 - phases

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Phase-1 (Qualitative Content Analysis of NTV news)

In this phase,

A qualitative content analysis (deductive use of theory) of selected news stories pertaining to natural disasters in Nepal will be conducted.

105 News stories pertaining to natural disasters for a period of 12 months ( April 2012 – March 2013) broadcasted in the Nepal television.

The news contents will be analysed under 5-frames of Framing theory and PPRR cycle of disaster management.

Nepal Television Late night

news

bulletin(In

English)

10.30 PM

First television of Nepal having wide

viewership. Hundreds of skilled journalists

are involved across the country including

in the regional transmission. Nightly news

is round of all news broadcasted in Nepali

language.

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Data analysis – Phase-1

This research study has followed the procedure recommended by Miles and Huberman (1994)

1. Data reductionMay arise more frames, which will be reduced to the predefined 5 frames. Taking account of the frames emerged out of the data other than predefined frames.2. Data display3. Conclusion drawing / verification

NVIVO -10 has used to store and organise the data to conduct the analysis.

LOGOFindings and analysis of Content analysis of NTV

news

NEPAL TELEVISION

(N=105)

 Apr12

 May12

 Jun12

 Jul12

 Aug12

 Sep1

2

 Oct1

2

 Nov12

 Dec12

 Jan13

 Feb13

 Mar13

YearlyAverage

Headline National

2 5 4 2 3 9 2 0 1 0 2 1 2.64

Headline-International

 3

 2

 4

 2

 3

 2

 5

 2

 2

 1

 2

 0

 2.27

National (Nepal)

6 11 14 15 12 14 7 3 4 11 4 4 9.00

International 4 7 8 6 13 5 8 8 6 8 7 6 7.45

Total WordCount/Month

 603

 1002

 1241

 1272

 1765

 1566

 639

 329

 550

 1243

 335

 269

 928.27

No. of Story 6 11 14 15 12 14 7 3 4 11 4 4 99.00

Word Count /Story

100.50

91.09

88.64

84.80

147.08

111.86

91.29

109.67

137.50

113.00

83.75

67.25

 102.36

Total News in

Bulletin

 508

 516

 542

 584

 596

 563

 521

 509

 571

 581

 539

 570

 553.82

 News / Bulletin

16.93

17.20

18.07

19.47

19.87

18.77

17.37

16.97

19.03

19.37

17.97

19.00

 18.46

PC(%) of Disaster

News

 0.98

 2.13

 2.58

 2.57

 2.01

 2.49

 1.34

 0.59

 0.70

 1.89

 0.74

 0.70

 1.48

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LOGODisaster types reported by NTV

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

LOGOFrames and PPRR coverage

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LOGONews Frames/Analysis

The human interest frame (78%) The responsibility frame (approximately 50%) Economic consequences are also reported in approximately 50% Vulnerability and risk (less than 40%) Conflict Frame (less than 20 %) Morality (less than 20 %) In almost 40% of stories, the category of “Other Frames” (40%) was

identified. These included warnings, instruction, reports, and exchange

of ideas, special occasions, memorial/anniversary awareness and

guidelines.

Reported disasters mostly after its occurrence. Not surprisingly, this study found that the NTV emphasizes the response

phase of PPRR cycle Human interest and responsibility frames were reported in terms of the

focus of the news. Prevention phase is second most reported cycle (28 %). Preparedness is the least frequently reported (less than 20 %). Of all 105 new stories reported by NTV, 18 did not address the disaster

management cycle in a noticeable way.

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PPRR Coverage in Coding

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LOGOAnalysis: Contribution towards Post 2015 Framework for

Disaster Risk Reduction

Addresses the implementation of the next phase of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in Nepal as it seeks to streamline the development of plans along with the implementation and monitoring of HFA by 2015.However, media’s real time information is limited.

Effective news room management of NTV in response to the balanced reporting throughout PPRR cycle, It is important to develop a policy in collaboration with Telecommunication, Media and Journalists for effectively using the reach of media and telecommunication network for information collection, sharing and dissemination for the communities at risk (ISDR, 2013).

Contribute to the actions taken Nepal government and the United Nations office for disaster risk reduction (UNISDR) using government media like NTV to upgrade DisInventar data collection system, information sharing and prominence to be given during the PPRR cycle. For example, limited reporting in response to preparedness implies that there are fewer

Preparedness activities going on and these trends are impacting on comprehensive PPRR efforts for disaster management as well. The results of this study will contribute to the limited number of media content studies on the portrayal of natural disasters and enable citizens to better prepare for, prevention of, respond to and recover from disasters.

Acknowledging a Joint Civil Society Position on Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Switzerland highlighted the strengths and shortcomings of the current HFA(HFA/UNISDR, 2014b).

NTV needs to be more effective in reporting disasters in a balanced way and disaster management programs and policies need to be focused mostly on human interest, responsibility and economic consequences related issues by suggesting increase in preparedness and mitigation activities.

Important to recall these attributes when developing a post-2015 DRR Framework which has been realised in the member countries of the United Nations.(HFA/UNISDR, 2014a).

Preliminary consultative meeting of UNISDR, held in Geneva in 2007 focussed on the influence of mass media as being a powerful force in policy change and, together with other stakeholders, bridging the information gap between communities and governments.

Therefore, NTV news reporting patterns suggest the urgency of focussing disaster management media strategies on the frames identified. From this point of view, the media sector plays a key role to integrate disaster issues into the mainstream development processes of the present world (Collins, 2009).

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Final Thoughts Provides some initial lessons for government, community and

media to help improve the framing of disaster messages. Significantly, the research highlights the prominence that should

be given to flood, landslides, lightning and earthquake related disasters firstly by addressing the problem suggested in the news frames used by Nepal Television.

This includes, 1) Emphasis on disaster types, and emerging frames 2)Prominence of disaster planning coverage using balanced approach throughout PPRR 3) Disaster response news is on the rise. Generally, reporting is focused more on the response phase, whereas the government press releases(information) are focused on the planning phase Therefore, the media, communities, government and agencies should act accordingly for the formulation of news making model which can ensure balanced and effective reporting. This message can be well incorporated in the NTV news by enhancing the impact of disaster responses.

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