THESIS: Framing Complex Environmental Issues: A Case Study Of Kauri Dieback Management In New Zealand Print Media

Environmental communication is typically thought of as an activity of scientists. However, communication by media journalists is an important avenue for people to learn about environmental issues, including complex socio-environmental challenges characterised by high levels of uncertainty about how they should be managed and diversity in stakeholder values. Given the increasing risks posed by complex environmental issues, this thesis examines how media represents these issues, along with the institutional factors that shape the way journalists present socio-environmental issues. Specifically, the research uses the case of kauri dieback (Phytophthora agathidicida), a tree disease affecting kauri (Agathis australis), to examine the online media coverage of kauri dieback management in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Kauri dieback management is biologically complex as there is no known cure and socially complex because there are high levels of competing stakeholder values. The closure of tracks as a management tool has been implemented through rāhui (a cultural restriction placed by Iwi) and through agency-led closures. The research adopted a mixed methods approach and involved both automated and manual content analysis methods of online print media articles to explore the representation of track closures and the representation of news sources involved in the management of kauri dieback. Interviews with journalists who had reported on kauri dieback were used to uncover institutional pressures that influenced their reporting. This thesis found that the rāhui was pivotal in increasing media attention. Multiple factors, including access to sources, commercial motives, editorial selection and journalist values, contributed to the representation of kauri dieback track closures. Journalists play an essential role in advocating for these issues to be presented in news agendas, and they felt a duty to capture the complexity of the issue. This thesis revealed that media have a critical role in environmental management by holding agencies to account for inconsistent management. The condensing of the complexity of issues into the format of an online print article does result in elements being excluded. The commercial drivers of mainstream media led to a simplification of the issue of track closure management, including the placement of the rāhui. This most notably limited inclusion of Indigenous Māori perspectives. Where in comparison, Māori media more commonly discussed management through a Te Ao Māori frame. This is problematic for socio-complex environmental issues that have cultural dimensions and where diverse voices need to be included in decision-making.