Discovering the world’s most endangered great whale species did not advance an issue-attention cycle in news media: Implications for Rice’s whale conservation and management

Issue-attention cycles (IACs) follow the predictable rise and fall of media and public attention to topics through five defined stages. Using content analysis and critical discourse analysis, we analyzed 35 newspaper texts (2021–2024) about the Rice’s whale, a newly discovered and Critically Endangered species exclusive to the Gulf of Mexico. We investigated whether this discovery was enough to advance an IAC and found that, while Rice’s whale science, conservation, and policy has the elements of a topic likely to undergo an IAC, it remains in the first stage of the IAC with limited media attention and a focus on regional stakeholders and policy debates. Comparing this case to the North Atlantic right whale IAC (2010–2024), we offer insights for scientists, professionals, and advocates to prepare for potential future media attention and conservation conflict. Our findings highlight the importance of strategic communication and media analysis to conservation.