Newspaper Framing of Climate Change in Tamil Nadu, India

As one of the most pressing global challenges of our times, climate change has thrust the media into a crucial position, wielding influence over public understanding and shaping policy debates. This study investigates how climate change is framed in Tamil Nadu by analysing articles from The Hindu published in 2023. This study combines the frame analysis model developed by Semetko and Valkenburg with the Climate Action frame from Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) added on. This study analysed 600 articles through the lens of six distinct frames: responsibility, conflict, economic, human interest, morality, and climate action. These framing categories form the basis of the analytical framework. The Responsibility frame emphasises governmental accountability in addressing climate issues, the Conflict frame elucidates disagreements concerning resource allocation, the Economic frame examines the financial implications of risks associated with extreme weather events, the Human Interest frame incorporates a human perspective into climate narratives, the Morality frame integrates ethical perspectives, and the Climate Action frame focuses on climate adaptation and climate mitigation strategies. This study provides valuable insights into how regional climate change narratives are constructed in the state of Tamil Nadu, south India, and offers insights into how a global crisis is contextualised in print media through strategic framing. Keywords: Climate change, media framing, Tamil Nadu, The Hindu, Semetko and Valkenburg, Climate Action frame, SDG13