Framing Heatwave as a Disaster: A Content Analysis of Heatwave Coverage in Digital Broadsheets
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajahs.v3i4.3621Keywords:
Content Analysis, Disaster Communication, Disaster Media Coverage, Heat Wave, HeatwaveAbstract
This study investigates how a heatwave is framed as a disaster among major digital broadsheets in the Philippines. Through a descriptive research design combining both qualitative and quantitative content analysis, this research systematically examined 312 news articles spanning from January to April during which heatwaves occurred in the research locale. Quantitative data was analyzed to identify frequency and patterns, while qualitative analysis provided deeper insights into the narratives and framing strategies. A purposive sampling, coding, and categorization of news articles were conducted to understand the portrayal of heatwave effects, the framing techniques employed by the journalists, the active forces involved in addressing the phenomenon, and the demographics of those most affected. The study revealed that major broadsheets highlighted the economic cost of the disaster with the heatwave events framed in terms of economic implications, including impacts on industries such as agriculture and energy sectors. Additionally, this study underscored the Department of Agriculture as the most active force and identified farmers and the fisherfolk as the groups most affected by the disaster, as the heatwaves directly threaten crop yields and livelihoods of those in the sector. Finally, this study provides insights into the media’s role in shaping public perception of the heatwave, a phenomenon underrepresented in disaster communication research, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of its socio-economic implications and advocating for balanced media representation as a means to mitigate its impacts.
Downloads
References
Aris, B. (2024, April 8). Disaster season: Heat waves sweep the world – in charts and maps. IntelliNews. Retrieved from https://www.intellinews.com/disaster-season-heat-waves-sweep-the-world-in-charts-and-maps-319928/
Armstrong, M. (2023, June 27). Heatwaves: European capitals with the highest risk for the elderly [Digital image]. Statista. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/chart/30291/heatwaves-european-capitals-with-the-highest-risk-for-the-elderly/
Arowolo, D. (2017). Understanding framing theory. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.25800.52482
Bansal, A., Cherbuin, N., Davis, D. L., Peek, M. J., Wingett, A., Christensen, B. K., ... Nolan, C. J. (2023). Heatwaves and wildfires suffocate our healthy start to life: Time to assess impact and take action. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(8), e718–e725. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00134-1
Bloomberg. (2024, April 30). The heatwave baking parts of Asia: What’s causing the heat? Gulf News. https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/philippines/the-heatwave-baking-parts-of-asia-whats-causing-the-heat-1.102403936
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. (2023). Heat waves and climate change. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.c2es.org/content/heat-waves-and-climate-change/
Chapagai, P. P., Katel, O., & Penjor, P. (2023). Relationships Between Food Systems, Agricultural Practices, and Food Security Amidst Climate Change in Western Bhutan. American Journal of Food Science and Technology, 3(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajfst.v3i1.2295
Climate Change Committee. (2023, March 31). Number of excess heat deaths during heatwaves in the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2022, by age [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1420862/number-of-excess-heat-deaths-during-heatwaves-in-the-uk/
Dotson, D., Jacobson, S., Kaid, L., & Carlton, J. (2012). Media coverage of climate change in Chile: A content analysis of conservative and liberal newspapers. Environmental Communication: A Journal of Nature and Culture, 6(1), 64-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2011.642078
Essien, E., Muoghalu, M., & Sulaimon, Y. (2022). Newspaper Framing of Twitter Ban in Nigeria: A Retrospective Perspective. American Journal of Arts and Human Science, 1(3), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajahs.v1i3.638
Estoque, R. C., Ooba, M., Seposo, X. T., Togawa, T., Hijioka, Y., Takahashi, K., & Nakamura, S. (2020). Heat health risk assessment in Philippine cities using remotely sensed data and social-ecological indicators. Nature Communications, 11(1), Article 1584. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15218-8
Gesser-Edelsburg, A., Hijazi, R., & Cohen, R. (2022). It takes two to tango: How the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Israel was framed by the Health Ministry vs. the television news. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.887579
Guadalupe, A., Ozaki, A., & Tanimoto, T. (2018). Smarter solutions for hotter times: What the Philippines can do. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2(2), e56–e57. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(18)30003-2
Kamal, N. I. A., Ash’aari, Z. H., Abdullah, A. M., Kusin, F. M., Mohamat Yusuff, F., Sharaai, A. H., ... Mohd Ariffin, N. A. (2021). Extreme heat vulnerability assessment in tropical region: A case study in Malaysia. Climate and Development, 14(5), 472–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2021.1937030
Klingelhöfer, D., Braun, M., Brüggmann, D., & Groneberg, D. A. (2023). Heatwaves: Does global research reflect the growing threat in the light of climate change? Globalization and Health, 19(1), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-023-00955-4
Joseph, I. (2022). The effect of natural disaster on economic growth: Evidence from a major earthquake in Haiti. World Development, 159, 106053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106053
Limayo, K. L. (2020). Filipino farmers, fisherfolk most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses due to climate change. Rappler. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/environment/252201-filipino-farmers-fisherfolk-vulnerable-heat-related-illneses-climate-change/
Liu, Y., & Boin, A. (2020). Framing a mega-disaster: Political rhetoric and the Wenchuan earthquake. Safety Science, 125, 104621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104621
Liu, B. F., & Mehta, A. M. (2020). From the periphery and toward a centralized model for trust in government risk and disaster communication. Journal of Risk Research, 24(7), 853–869. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2020.1773516
Luo, A. (2023). Content analysis: Guide, methods & examples. Scribbr. Retrieved from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/content-analysis/
Matejova, M. (2023). Framing environmental disasters for nonviolent protest: A content analysis. Environmental Communication, 17(4), 407–420. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2023.2195589
Mateu, A., & Dominguez, M. (2019). The green battle in the media: A framing analysis of environmental press coverage. Communication & Society, 32(4), 275–290. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.32.4.275-290
Molder, A., Chen, K., Clemmons, Z., & Lakind, A. (2021). Framing the global youth climate movement: A qualitative content analysis of Greta Thunberg’s moral, hopeful, and motivational framing on Instagram. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 27(1), Article 19401612211055691. https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612211055691
Moncada, F. M., Martinez-Villegas, M. M., & Perez, J. S. (2024). Framing analysis of the print media coverage of the 2020 Taal volcano eruption. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 100, 104162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.104162
Mondal, T., Pramanik, S., Pramanik, P., Datta, K., Paul, P., Saha, S., & Nandi, S. (2021). Emergency communication and use of ICT in disaster management. In Disaster Resilience and Risk Communication (pp. 161–197). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0360-0_10
Morales, N. J. (2024, April 29). Heat wave in Southeast Asia closes schools, triggers health alerts. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-dangerous-heat-prompts-shift-online-classes-power-crunch-2024-04-29/
O’Neill, B. C., Kriegler, E., Ebi, K. L., Kemp-Benedict, E., Riahi, K., Rothman, D. S., ... Solecki, W. (2015). The roads ahead: Narratives for shared socioeconomic pathways describing world futures in the 21st century. Global Environmental Change, 42, 169–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.01.004
Parida, D., Moses, S., & Rahaman, K. R. (2021). Analysing media framing of cyclone Amphan: Implications for risk communication and disaster preparedness. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 59, 102272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102272
Park, M., & Lee, S. (2023). Perception of media to vulnerable group to heatwave disaster. Forum of Public Safety and Culture. https://doi.org/10.52902/kjsc.2023.25.167
PSA (Philippines). (2023, November 30). Total disaster risk reduction expenditures in the Philippines from 2015 to 2022 (in billion Philippine pesos) [Graph]. Statista. Retrieved August 20, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1090427/philippines-government-expenditures-disaster-risk-reduction/
Rahimi, S., & Khatooni, M. (2024). Saturation in qualitative research: An evolutionary concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 6, 100174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnsa.2024.100174
Sarma, R. J. (2021). Media and disaster management: The role of media. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Management, 3, 827-833.
Scheufele, D. A. (1999). Framing as a theory of media effects. Journal of Communication, 49(4), 103-122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1999.tb02843.x
Semetko, H. A., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2000). Framing European politics: A content analysis of press and television news. Journal of Communication, 50(2), 93-109. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02843.x
UN weather agency issues ‘red alert’ on climate change after record heat. (2024, March 19). Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com
World Meteorological Organization. (2023). Heatwave. World Meteorological Organization. https://wmo.int/topics/heatwave
World Health Organization. (2020). Heatwaves. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/heatwaves#tab=tab_1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Khareen B. Culajara, Jonathan M. Tudtud

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.