Understanding Influences, Misinformation, and Fact-Checking Concerning Climate-Change Journalism in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Scholars agree on the role of media and communication in mitigating climate change. However, the complex and scientific nature of climate change, particularly within a contemporary media setting that includes growing misinformation, has challenged environmental journalists. To better understand these challenges the present study uses the hierarchy of influences model to explore different levels of influence that shape climate content in an under-researched country, Pakistan. Additionally, this study explains reporters’ experiences in dealing with misinformation on climate change, its ability to impact their work, and their perception of using fact-checking tools to counter it. The results, based on 21 interviews with self-identified climate journalists, revealed that, on an individual level, lack of expertise and education influence their coverage of environmental issues. Furthermore, the reporters expressed that following the Western process and model of environmental journalism impacts their routine and climate coverage. Moreover, the journalists claimed that advertisers and corporations significantly influence their news stories on environmental issues. The study also reveals that the journalists believed that there is no widespread climate misinformation in Pakistan, thus reducing the need for fact-checkers. The paper concludes by discussing the findings while providing recommendations for enhanced journalism coverage of climate change in Pakistan.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate journalism
• Global South
• hierarchy of influences model
• misinformation
• fact-checkers
• Pakistan

Acknowledgments

We thank Umar Farooqi for assisting in the interview process. We also appreciate Professor Emeritus Charles Marsh, Dr. Chris Etheridge, Ms. Samavia Mumtaz, Special Issue Editors, and the anonymous reviewers for their feedback in improving the manuscript. Finally, we thank all the journalists in participating in our study.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).